The House of Mirrors Job
by gibbsrossi
Summary: Nate and Sophie are happily married and have a three year old daughter. Then tragedy strikes, but not is all as it seems. This is a team fic with lots of old friends, and of course my usual Nate/Sophie pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nate walked into the house, dropping his keys on the table at the door he made a bee line for the wet bar. Although night had already settled over Portland he did not bother turning on the light. He liked the darkness and the lights from the street gave enough illumination for him to see the bottle of whiskey on the bar. Pouring himself a glass he downed it immediately. Then he poured another glass and walked over to the sofa carrying the glass and the bottle. Sinking into the sofa he sat staring the pictures on the mantle, even though it was so dark he could not make out any of the images he knew them by heart. He finished the second glass of whiskey almost as quickly as the first. He held the glass, staring at his reflection in the crystal. His face contorted with anger and sadness and grief, he growled out his frustration and then threw the glass shattering it against the wall.

"Where are the others?" A voice said startling Nate, he had not noticed he was not alone in the house. He looked up and gave a hard tight smile to the man who sat in a chair opposite him.

"Get out of my house." Nate hissed. He wanted to be alone.

"Where are the others?" The man repeated.

"Somewhere else..." Nate said lying back in the sofa again and brining the bottle up to his lips.

"Why?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't...But my wife does… " The man said softly.

"Get out, I want to be alone."

"I don't think that is the best idea right now." The man said getting up and walking to the bar. He poured himself a drink and then went back to his seat.

"Suite yourself..." Nate said too tired to fight the man right then. If he wanted to stay and watch Nate get drunker than he ever had, he was welcome, as long as he did not try to stop him.

"They need you you know…?" The man said softly.

"Go to hell." Nate hissed.

"You need them."

"I don't need them…I don't want them…I want to be alone."

"Well that is not going to happen."

"For Christ sake Sterling just get the hell out of my house and leave me alone. I want to be alone!" Nate shouted at the man his anger swelling in him as he spoke.

"You are a selfish bastard you know that Nate…" Sterling said his anger growing at the same rate as Nate's. "Your family needs you and you are here spurning them and getting drunk…" He said is voice hard and cold and full of disdain for the man he sat with. "But I don't know what else I expected from you."

Nate stared at him and then shook his head taking another gulp of whiskey from the bottle.

"My family are dead you son of a bitch…" Nate hissed at the ex-insurance agent and one time friend.

"Not all of them." Sterling countered. "You are not the only one grieving tonight."

Nate knew the man was right but right then he did not care. Right then he did not care about anything except getting drunk.

"Now they are not only grieving but worrying about you too. You don't care about that do you?"

Nate remained silent. He was well on his way to getting drunk. Three years of not having a drop of alcohol pass his lips had left him not as able to cope with copious amounts as he had been. He was well on his way to the oblivion he sought and although he knew what Sterling was saying was true and although he knew he should be with them, he could not bring himself to be.

Sterling stared at the man who half lay half sat on the sofa opposite him. He felt for the man. It had been a long hard fight to get back to life for him from the death of his son. It had taken him a long time to start living again, and life had been good. Yes he was angry with him, well actually more frustrated than angry. He was closing down again after another tragedy that had taken the lives of his wife and daughter. The rest of Nate's makeshift family were at the microbrewery with Sterling's wife. She was the one who had sent him here to be with Nate. She knew he could cope with Nate in this state because he would not allow himself to be turned away. Maggie had her own problems, Parker was almost as unable to deal with the loss as Nate, she was inconsolable in her grief and Maggie was worried about her. Eliot and Hardison were trying to be strong but she knew that the loss for them was just as bad. These people did not handle loss well, all of them, except maybe Hardison only knew how to run away from grief, but if they were going to survive this they had to lean on their family, they had to stick together, and that included Nate, whether he liked it or not.

"You need them..." Sterling said his voice more gentle as he spoke. "Don't shut them out Nate…don't shut yourself off, you need to let them help you and you need to help them through this."

"Maggie should mind her own business…" Nate said acidly, he knew it was her that had sent Sterling here to babysit him.

"She cares about you Nate, about you and your little family, so you are stuck with me…" Sterling said paying no attention to Nate's attempt to anger him, he was well aware Nate did not want him here and was goading him to leave.

"She's dead Sterling. They are dead and I…" Nate felt hot tears burn his cheeks as he voiced the words making it real for himself. "I…can't…they're dead…" Nate said swiping the tears away before taking another swig out the bottle that was now almost empty.

"I know…" Sterling said softly. "So I'll give you tonight…but you need to stand up and be the…the man Sophie would expect you to be for them. For Parker, for Eliot and Hardison, you need to be there for them too, you owe them that."

"I…owe… them…" Nate asked his words now slurring slightly as the alcohol took effect.

"Yes…you owe them. You made them into this…this family you created for yourself. These are people who don't know how to deal with grief, especially Parker, so you owe them, you have to help them through this because if you don't you know Sophie would never forgive you."

"Sophie's….gone…Sophie and Kate are gone…I…they're gone…" Nate whispered as if that freed him from any obligation to the rest of the team.

"Yes she is. But they were her family too…those three meant so much to her, now you can't abandon them in their time of need, you know that, you know that is not what she would want from you, no matter what has happened, she would want you to be there for them and let them be there for you." Sterling replied. "So get drunk…get drunk and pass out and then tomorrow morning you will do what you have to, you will be strong for your family because you know that is what Sophie would expect from you."

"Sophie's gone…my daughter…my wife…my life is gone…why…why…?" Nate said unable to stop the tears from flowing freely now. The alcohol was pulling him down into darkness, the overwhelming emotion of the last eight hours taking its toll on him, along with the entire bottle of whiskey he had consumed, the combination sending him into oblivion.

They sat in silence after that, Sterling watching as Nate sobbed muttering to himself and cursing God and the world as he finished off the whiskey. He did not attempt to comfort the man in any way, he knew that was not what Nate needed now. So Sterling sat in silence as Nate grieved. Finally Nate passed out his head lolling to one side and the bottle of whiskey slipping from his grasp to clatter noisily to the floor. Sterling stood up and walked over to the slumped figure of his friend. They had worked together on a number of occasions during the last three years and their friendship had rekindled. He had been at Nate's wedding and Nate had been the best man at his marriage to Nate's ex-wife. Maggie was Godmother to Katherine, Nate and Sophie's daughter. He reached down picked up the empty bottle and sighed heavily. Taking the blanket that was thrown over the back of the sofa he placed it over the sleeping man.

"God only knows why Nate…God only knows." He said softly. God knows this man had suffered more than most in his life, he had lost so much and Sterling was not sure, no matter what he said, no matter what Maggie or the others said or did, that Nate would make it back from this tragedy.

**Ok well there is the first chapter of my new story. This one will be a little different from the others, but I hope you will all enjoy it anyway. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nate woke the next morning with a pounding headache. He was still lying on the sofa covered by the blanket Sterling had thrown over him the previous night. He lifted his hand to his head and moaned slightly closing his eyes against the sunshine pouring through the window.

"Ah you're awake." Sterling said as he walked into the room. "I'll get you some coffee."

"I thought I told you to leave last night." Nate growled at his back as he walked into the kitchen.

"Nate you should know I never listen to you." Sterling said coming back into the room with two steaming cups of coffee. Nate sat up and Sterling handed him a cup and then retreated to the comfortable chair opposite.

Neither man spoke as Nate sipped his coffee and Sterling watched him. Nate could not remember much of what had happened the night before. What he did remember is that Sophie and his daughter were dead and that made his heart clench and his gut turn. He looked at Sterling over his cup. The man sat impassively watching Nate and sipping his own coffee. Nate could taste the whiskey that Sterling had added to the brew. Sterling made no effort to speak, waiting for Nate to initiate any conversation.

"Thanks…" Nate said raising his cup to Sterling, his voice was gruff from the previous nights' excesses and raw with emotion.

"You're welcome." Sterling said knowing that the man was not only thanking him for the coffee but for last night.

"Maggie…"

"Called this morning…They are fine, or as well as they could be under the circumstances." Sterling said. No matter what Nate had said the previous evening, he knew the man was worried about the rest of his family.

Again silence settled over the two men.

"You need to go get cleaned up." Sterling said seeing Nate had finished his coffee. "I'll get some breakfast ready."

"Not hungry." Nate said putting his cup down. All he really wanted was more whiskey, enough to let him pass out again and forget that Sophie and Kate were dead, killed in a senseless accident.

"I don't care." Sterling said standing and taking Nate's empty cup. "You've got company coming."

"What…" Nate growled his head snapping up at Sterling's words.

"Maggie and the others…"

"I don't want them here." Nate stated.

"Again I don't care. They'll be here in about two hours." Sterling said as he disappeared into the kitchen. "Make sure you are decent when they arrive."

"Sterling…"

"Just go Nate. They are your family and they have suffered a loss just like you so you WILL go and get cleaned up and you WILL remain at least slightly sober…do we understand each other?" Sterling shouted out of the kitchen.

"Or what…" Nate hissed under his breath. How dare this man come in here and order him around. His wife was dead, his child was dead, he had a right to be alone if he wanted to. He did not want to see them. He did not want to see their grief…he had enough of his own to cope with. Despite that he rose slowly and walked towards his bedroom pouring himself a glass of whiskey along the way.

Nate walked into his bedroom and closed the door. For a moment he was frozen to the spot as his eyes swept across the room taking in the dressing table that held all of Sophie's paraphernalia. He could smell her perfume in the room and there was a little doll lying on the floor next to the bed which Kate had dropped there. Nate felt his legs grow weak as emotion once again overwhelmed him. He sank to the floor leaning against the door and felt his body wrack with heavy soul-wrenching sobs. He was not sure how long he sat there before he heard Sterling pounding on the door.

"Nate…" Sterling called out. He could hear the sobbing and he pushed against the door and felt it budge slightly. He surmised that Nate was sitting behind it preventing the door from opening. "Nate…" He called again.

Nate heard him call out and then felt the door move. He wiped the tears from his face and downed the glass of whiskey he still held.

"I'm…I'm fine…I just…" Nate stuttered pushing himself to his feet and away from the door.

Sterling came through the door as soon as he felt the give and stopped. Nate's eyes were red rimmed from crying and his whole body slouched with grief. Sterling glanced around the room and realised what had happened.

"Maybe you should use the guest room." Sterling said softly.

"No…no…I'm fine…I just…I'm fine." Nate said turning and walking into the bathroom. "I'll be out now." He said closing the door behind him.

Sterling stood staring at the door and wondering if he should leave the man alone. For one instant he worried that Nate would do something stupid and then dismissed the thought. Nate was not the type to do anything like that. He might try to drink himself to death, like he had after Sam passed but suicide, no that was not Nate.

"When you are done…breakfast is ready." Sterling called out. He got no response and just shook his head slightly then retreated back into the kitchen.

As he entered the kitchen again his phone rang. The ID told him it was his wife.

"Maggie." Sterling answered after the second ring. This was the third time this morning she had called.

"How is he?" Maggie asked her husband.

"Awake. He's taking a shower and then we'll have some breakfast. When are you going to be here?"

"In about an hour."

"How are they?"

"Worried…"

"Yeah…and…"

"Well Eliot is being Eliot…" Maggie said as if that explained everything which it did actually. "Parker is totally withdrawn and Hardison is…well he is so worried about Parker and Nate that I don't think this has hit him fully yet."

"They are going to need each other to get through this." Sterling told his wife.

"You know Nate. He has a way of…" Maggie sighed heavily remembering when Sam died. "Of removing himself from everything and everybody…he's going to try to push them away."

"Yeah…well there is only so much we can do honey." Sterling said knowing that Maggie was also grieving. She and Sophie had become very close and Kate was like her own child. Actually in a way he was glad she had taken the responsibility of taking care of things as at least it gave her something to focus on.

"Yes there is…" Maggie said sadly. "I'll see you soon…and…thank you darling."

"He's my friend…and they…well they grow on you, even Eliot." Jim Sterling said softly. Despite himself he had become fond of this band of thieves. "Anyway…he's coming through so see you later. Love you." He said then hung up the phone as Nate entered the kitchen.

"Maggie checking up on me…?" Nate said walking to the coffee machine and pouring himself another cup lasing it generously with the whiskey had had carried in from the bar.

"No, she's too busy trying to hold your family together." Sterling told him curtly.

Nate stared at him and then took his coffee and sat down heavily at the kitchen table. He had no answer to Sterling's comment and he could feel a pang of guilt at his words. He knew that they loved Sophie as much as he did. And Kate…well she was like a little sister to all of them. They loved them as much as he had…he corrected himself and the thought caused his chest to tighten again and made him have to fight back the tears that threatened to fall once more.

Just under an hour later Maggie and the others arrived. Parker came through the door and immediately made her way to Nate pulling him into a tight hug. Nate did not react at first, his hands hung by his side as the young blonde clung to him. Eventually he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her squeezing her tightly. No word was spoken and the others stood and watched the scene. Then Nate gently moved Parker away from him. Reluctantly the blond let go of him and moved to Hardison's side taking his hand as they walked into the living room. Hardison and Parker dropped onto the Sofa, Eliot went and stood at the mantle and Nate walked over to the wet bar and poured himself his fourth whiskey for the day. Maggie went to her husband giving him a kiss before turning to watch as Nate walked back to the room. Silence filled the room with nobody quite knowing what to say.

"The undertakers called. We will have to go and make the arrangements later today." Maggie said deciding that giving them something to do might be a good direction to go in. Nate just stared at her.

"Is there anybody else we need to notify…?" She asked looking at her ex-husband. None of them knew anything about Sophie's family except Nate. "Nate…?" She asked when he did not reply.

"What…oh…no there is nobody else." He said. Sophie's mother and father were dead and she had no other family, at least not that he knew of. Sophie was still part mystery even to him, there were some things she had never talked about and he had never pushed her.

"Ok well…we can leave as soon as you are ready."

"Leave…?"

"Yes Nate, we have to go to the undertakers…"

"Yes of course…" Nate said. It was not want he wanted to do but it was what he had to do. It was his responsibility to make sure that his wife and child were taken care of even in death.

It was four long hours later when they arrived back at the house. Nate walked in and went straight to the bar grabbing a bottle of whiskey and heading into his room leaving the rest to stare after him. Eliot looked around the room, he could see the day had taken its toll on all of them including himself if he were honest. They were silent as they all contemplated the reality that had been hammered home today as they made the arrangements to lay Sophie and Kate to rest.

"Well I think Maggie and I are going to go home." Sterling said breaking the silence and bringing all eyes to rest on him.

"James I…"

"No Maggie, they need time alone and you need some time as well." Sterling told his wife taking her hand as he looked at the rest of the group.

"Sterling's right." Eliot said seeing the torn look on Maggie's face. Her husband was right, she needed time to digest everything which she had not been able to do having been taking care of Parker and the others. "Go home Maggie. We'll be alright."

Maggie nodded at the Hitter. Then she moved forward and pulled Parker into a hug, followed by Hardison and finally Eliot. "Take care of them." She whispered into Eliot's ear as she hugged him.

"I will…" He whispered back. Withdrawing from the hug he held his hand out to Sterling. "Thank you Sterling." He said as the man took his hand.

"Call if you need anything." Maggie said wiping away some unwanted tears.

"We will." Eliot assured her. Then he walked them to the door and saw them out. Closing the door he turned to the two youngest members of the team.

"Well it's been a long day, I'm going to make us some food." He told them. He could not sit around and do nothing and in the kitchen is where he was most at peace.

"Ok…" Hardison said as he and Parker sat on the sofa, Parker had wrapped herself around him. "You need any help?"

"No…" Eliot said. He could see Parker was not up to doing anything, and besides he wanted some time alone. "Why don't you and Parker watch something?"

"Yeah…we can do that right girl…?" Hardison said looking down at the little Thief.

"Yeah…" Parker whispered. She had not taken her eyes of the door Nate had disappeared into. She knew he was drinking and she wanted to do something to help him but knew she couldn't. Not right now anyway.

"Ok then…" Eliot said clapping his hands together then turning and entering the kitchen.

Hardison untangled himself from Parker and quickly picked a movie putting it into the DVD and then coming back to the sofa allowed Parker to drape herself over him again as he pressed the play button.

Nate lay on the bed hugging a pillow with Sophie's sent on it and clinging to the little doll that had been left in the room, he was halfway through his bottle of whiskey and nearing the oblivion he was once again seeking.

That was when Eliot's phone rang and the world was turned upside down again.

**Ok well so you all know how I love cliff hangers so here is the first one. Who do you think is calling Eliot and why? Thank you all so much for your kind words and your enthusiasm for my new story, I really appreciate all the reviews they mean so much to me. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Patrick…" Eliot answered his phone a hint of surprise in his voice. He knew that Captain Patrick Bonnano had relocated to Portland about a year ago, but he usually spoke to Nate and did not have much contact with any of the rest of the team, except for the occasional poker night with the boys.

"Eliot…we need to talk." The police captain said with urgency in his voice.

"Patrick you know this is not a good time." Eliot said thinking the man had something he wanted the team to do and could not get hold of Nate.

"I know about Sophie and Kate. I need to talk to you about that." Patrick said.

"Why…what's going on?" Eliot said suddenly alert as his instincts told him something was going down. Of course Bonnano would have heard about the accident being in the police, and he was sure that he kept track of Nate just in case the Mastermind got himself into trouble.

"Can I come over? I take it you are at Nate's place?" Bonnano asked. He did not want to talk to Eliot over the phone, especially with what he had to tell him.

"Sure." Eliot said trying to keep his angst under control.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes." Bonnano said and then hung up.

Eliot stared at the phone and then wiping his hands he went into the living area to tell the other two that he was expecting company and who it was that was coming over.

"Why is he coming…? To see Nate…?" Parker asked sitting up. She was curious as to why Captain Patrick Bonnano was coming to Nate's house especially now, it was late in the afternoon and it was obviously a very bad time.

"No to see me…well us." Eliot said.

"What's going on?" Hardison asked his interest also peaked and he too was getting a bad feeling.

"I don't know." Eliot said honestly. "He just said he needed to talk to me about Sophie and Kate."

"What about them?" Parker asked she too was now starting to feel anxious about the visit.

"I don't know…" Eliot growled out between his teeth.

"Should we get Nate?" Hardison asked suddenly thinking that maybe the Mastermind should also hear whatever Bonnano was going to tell them.

"No…" Eliot answered immediately. "No he said he needed to speak to me…" Eliot explained. "Let's just find out what exactly the good Captain has to say first."

"Ok…" Parker said hesitantly. If this was about Sophie and Kate she was not sure they should exclude Nate but she trusted Eliot's judgement and besides, she doubted that Nate would be in any state to deal with whatever Bonnano had to say, she was almost sure that Nate was either passed out or so drunk he was about to pass out right about now.

The minutes ticked by and the three of them waited anxiously for the arrival of Bonnano. They all almost jumped as they heard the knock on the door. Eliot opened it almost immediately and greeted Patrick asking him in.

"What's this about?" Eliot asked not wanting to waste time.

Patrick looked at the three people before him. He took a deep breath and then told them the news that would shock all of them.

"You are sure about this?" Eliot asked after Bonnano told them what he had discovered.

Bonnano nodded taking out the pictures he had brought with him. Eliot scoured the pictures and nodded as he saw what Patrick was talking about. Eliot suddenly stood up and paced up and down.

"Why?" Hardison asked staring at the pictures that backed up the story that Patrick had told them.

"I don't know." Patrick replied. "But it was well done and if…well if some over-zealous young detective had not brought it to my attention…"

"Nobody would be the wiser." Hardison finished for him.

"Yeah but why would anybody want to kill Sophie and Kate…she was only a baby." Parker said her mind trying to comprehend that what had happened was not a tragic accident but a deliberate attack.

"Well we are sure as hell going to find out why and who." Eliot said quietly sending shivers down the Captains spine.

"How do we tell Nate?" Parker suddenly gasped out. This would kill the Mastermind, he would think it was because of him and he already was not coping.

"We need to get the bodies back to the coroner's office." Patrick told them. "We need to do a full autopsy. Now I have a pathologist who is willing to do it but I need the bodies released to her…" They had not done this the first time. Nate had identified jewellery on Sophie's body and as the bodies were so badly damaged in the accident and there was no question of cause of death or who the two people in the car were, along with the backup in the coroners' office, it had been decided that a full autopsy was not required. Now with this evidence that all changed. "Nate will have to give permission for that."

"Why…?" Parker asked.

"Because this is still classed as an accident and the case is closed, my superiors don't believe that this is evidence enough to change that and that is why Detective Barker brought it to me in the first place. A full autopsy was not done on either of them, because of the state of the bodies amongst other things." Patrick explained. That meant that the state had no rights to the bodies as they had already been released to the next of kin which was Nate. The undertakers would not release the bodies to anybody without permission from Nate anyway.

"But what could the bodies tell anybody?" Hardison asked not quite sure what the point of doing an autopsy would be.

"I don't know Hardison, but I want to cover all the bases, especially considering what I believe happened." Bonnano replied.

"Ok…" Eliot said. "Do you have the papers?"

"Yeah..." Patrick said taking out the permission forms from his briefcase and handing them to Eliot.

"Good…" Eliot said handing the forms to Hardison.

"Man…Nate ain't going to be happy…" He said rolling his eyes at the Hitter but immediately took the forms to the table and did his magic. He had mastered Nate's signature long ago. Then he brought the forms back and handed them to Bonnano.

"Good enough?" Eliot asked.

"Yes." Bonnano said looking at the Hitter. "I'll get this expedited and let you know as soon as I do." Patrick said standing up and shaking Eliot's hand. "Oh and do you have anything I can use for DNA for both of them?"

"Why…?" Hardison asked confused. Yes this seemed to be more than an accident but there was no question about who had been in the car surely.

"Just protocol Hardison, for the autopsy." Patrick assured him.

"Ok I'll get you something." Eliot said. He returned a few minutes later with Sophie's hairbrush. "Is that alright?"

"Yes, she can use Sophie's DNA to confirm Kate." Patrick said taking the hairbrush and putting it into a bag he pulled from his briefcase.

"Thank you Patrick." Eliot said.

"Yeah…ok well…" Patrick paused looking towards the back of the house. "How is he?"

"Not good." Eliot said simply.

"Yeah…" Patrick said sighing heavily. "Well I'll get going with this." Bonnano said taking his leave.

"Hardison…" Eliot said once he had seen Bonnano out.

"On it..." Hardison said getting out his computer as he spoke. He knew what Eliot wanted, a list of people who would want Sophie dead.

"Parker, contact Maggie and Sterling and get them back here now." He instructed. They could use Sterling's contacts at Interpol and he knew Maggie would want to know. Parker nodded and pulled out her phone.

Eliot then pulled out his phone and started calling everybody he knew who would know if there had been a contract out on Sophie or Nate or anyone of them.

It was nearly eleven the next morning when Bonnano called them again telling them he had news and was on his way over. He arrived an hour later.

"Patrick this is Maggie and James Sterling. They know what's going on." Eliot said by way of introduction as they all sat down at the kitchen table.

"Where's Nate?" Bonnano asked not seeing the Mastermind anywhere.

"Still out." Eliot told him.

"Well I had the bodies taken to our pathologist last night and she did an autopsy and…" Patrick paused slightly before continuing.

"And what…?" Parker urged him on.

"The two bodies in our morgue are NOT Sophie and Kate Ford." Bonnano said quietly. He looked around the table and could read the shock and disbelieve on the faces around him.

"What…?" Maggie gasped out. "But…but how? Who are they then…I mean…who died in that car accident if it wasn't them?"

"That I don't know, but I had her check and triple check the DNA results."

"Sophie's not dead…? Katie is alive…?" Parker asked in a daze. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"That I can't tell you Parker, but she did not die in a car accident and nor did Kate." Bonnano told her. "I know this is a shock, I am…well I don't know what to think myself."

"We have to tell Nate." Maggie said.

"You have to tell Nate what…?" A voice said and all of them looked up to see Nate standing in the doorway.

**So Sophie and Kate's deaths were faked, but by who and why? How is Nate going to take this information and how are the team going to figure out who did it? Thanks again for all the great reviews they are greatly appreciated. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and the sudden turn of events. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Tell Nate what…? Patrick what are you doing here? What the hell is going on?" Nate asked as he realised that Captain Patrick Bonnano was in the room along with Maggie, Sterling and the others.

"Sit down Nate…" Eliot instructed the man as he walked back to the table.

"Just spit it out…what the hell is going on?" Nate told the Hitter. He was not in the mood for games.

Then he looked down at the table and saw the photos that were strewn across it. It was photos of Sophie's burnt out car and the truck that had crashed into it. Nate stepped closer and picked up one of the photo's examining it closely. Dropping the photo he picked up a report that was mixed in with the photos and read it. His eyes opened wide as he realised what he was reading. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and then looked up from the page at Patrick Bonnano.

"Patrick…?"

"It's not them Nate…it wasn't Sophie and Kate in that crash." Patrick said then pointed at the report Nate held in his hands. "That proves it."

"I don't understand…" Nate said sitting down heavily on one of the chairs.

"None of us do Nate…but it wasn't them in the car." Eliot told him.

Nate looked at the Hitter and then back down at the photos. This time he focused on what he thought he had seen before.

"This wasn't an accident was it?" Nate asked as he examined the photos closely. "No skid marks whatsoever…the truck deliberately jumped the light and hit Sophie's car…this was deliberate."

"That's what it looks like." Sterling confirmed.

"But why…this is crazy…" Nate said closing his eyes as he contemplated the information he had just been given. "Who was in that car if not them…this is…I mean who would go to so much effort, who would…why…?" Nate mumbled. If Sophie and Kate weren't dead, where were they?

"I don't have any answers Nate only questions like you. I am running the DNA from the two…bodies…through our databases now." Patrick told him.

"Where are the…where are they…the bodies?" Nate said suddenly staring at Patrick Bonnano his eyes boring into the detective.

"At the morgue…"

"No…no no no no…Patrick you have to get them back to the undertakers." Nate told the Captain. "You have to get them there now!" Nate said his voice full of angst.

"Nate…it's not Soph…"

"Just get them back to the undertakers NOW…" Nate said raising his voice slightly. "We have to…we have to bury them…Sophie and Kate have to…their funeral is arranged and we have to…we have to bury them." Nate continued causing all of them to look at the man with concern. Did he not understand what they were saying, that the two people in the morgue were not his family.

"Nate…didn't you hear it isn't them…" Parker said her voice full of concern.

"I heard Parker…" Nate said calming his voice down although they could see he was still distraught. "Just get them back to the undertakers…who knows about…about this…?" He asked looking at Patrick Bonnano.

"Only the people in this room and my pathologist…we wanted to make sure before we proceeded."

"Good…good…nobody can know." Nate said.

"Why…" Maggie asked confused by the sudden turn of events. She was expecting elation, relief even, but not this, Nate looked like he was more distraught now than before.

"Because Maggie…if Sophie and Kate were not in that car, somebody went to a lot of trouble to make us believe they were and that same somebody could be watching and if they suspect we suspect then that same somebody could…could...We don't know what is going on here and until we do we have to make sure that whoever did this believes he has gotten away with it do you understand…Sophie and Kate are…Oh God…" Nate said dropping his head into his hands.

Patrick stared at Nate and then pulled out his phone instructing his pathologist to return the bodies to the undertakers and not to report her findings to anybody just yet. He knew she wouldn't, she was a good friend of his and he could rely on her. He understood exactly where Nate was going with this. Somebody had gone to a lot of effort to effect the current state of events. They had not only organised an accident, they had abducted Sophie and Kate and had faked their death. That was not something the average criminal could pull off. This was well planned and well executed. This was professional and they were playing a very dangerous game, one that involved Sophie and Kate's lives.

"She won't tell anybody." Patrick told Nate as he hung up the phone.

"So what now?" Hardison asked.

"We go ahead with the funeral. Then we find my wife and daughter…" Nate said getting up from the table. He walked to the bar and poured himself a small glass of whiskey before turning back to the group. "Then I am going to kill the son of a bitch who did this." He said his voice low and hard. Then he took the bottle of whiskey and a glass and walked out of the room and into his little office closing the door behind him.

"I thought he would be relieved…at least we know they aren't dead, and I don't know…jumping into action or something…"" Maggie said not quite understanding Nate's attitude.

"Maggie we don't know that they aren't dead." Sterling told his wife. "Whoever did this, he obviously knew what he was doing, he targeted Sophie and Kate and he did it in a very…unusual way. He wanted Nate…all of us…all of them…" Sterling said casting his head in the direction of the rest of the Leverage team. "To think they were dead." He continued trying to explain what he knew Nate was thinking, what he could see Eliot was thinking. "Nate knows that means that whoever this is has abducted them without any intent on returning them…this is no ordinary abduction Maggie, somebody has got his family and he doesn't know who, he doesn't know why and more than that he doesn't know what he wants to do to them." Sterling sat back and sighed heavily. "That is worse than knowing they are dead. Wondering what is happening to them, what is being done to them…If this is his fault, if somebody is doing this to get back at him…"

"Or us…" Eliot added softly, he had been haunted by the same thoughts since Patrick had broken the news to them.

"Or you…" Sterling agreed.

"Oh my God…" Maggie said listening to her husband speak, she stared at the closed door and felt hot tears prick at her eyes.

"Well Nate is right, we need to make sure whoever this is believes he has got away with it. We don't know what he wants but he obviously wanted us to believe that they were dead." Sterling said. "So all we can do is play his game…"

"The problem is we are playing a game we don't understand or know the rules to, or the ultimate end game of the person doing this." Patrick said.

"Ok…so Maggie, can you carry on making the arrangements? Sterling..."

"Yeah follow up on all my sources." Sterling said.

"I'll do the same." Patrick added.

"You understand this has to be kept under wraps…if this guy finds out that we are, that we have any idea that something is up who knows what he could do." Eliot told them all.

All of the group gathered around the table nodded their agreement at Eliot's words. Eliot looked toward the little room Nate had disappeared into and sighed heavily.

"Here we go." He whispered as he made his way to the door, pausing slightly then entering the room without knocking and closed the door behind him.

**Thank you for the reviews. Who do you think is doing this? Why do you think they are doing this? Will Nate be able to pull off faking the funeral convincingly? How will they be able to find out who is responsible? Next chapter will be up soon. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Eliot entered the room to find Nate sitting at his desk staring at a picture of Sophie and Kate taken shortly after Kate's birth. It seemed as if Nate had not even noticed his entrance. He walked up to the work desk and taking a glass he poured himself a small tot of whiskey then waited.

"What's happening…?" Nate asked without looking up.

"Maggie is organising the funeral. Hardison is going through the usual suspects, Parker, Bonnano and Sterling are checking their sources. Parker is also going to fill Tara in on the situation and get her to check her contacts, she knows more of Sophie's past than any of us…including you…so she can give us some indication if there is anybody out there that would do this. Maybe it's not about us, or you, maybe this is about Sophie."

"Good." Nate said and then lifted his eyes up to his Hitter. "You're a retrieval expert…tell me why would somebody do this kind of thing. This is no KNR…"

"I don't know Nate, I've never…this is new to me."

"So he kidnaps them, then he orchestrates an accident making sure that their bodies would not be identifiable except for jewellery and the registration of the car. Then what…what is this guys' motive, why would he do something like this. Does he want Sophie and Kate for some reason…does he want to hurt me and if so this is…well killing them and then letting me know he had would be more likely in that case wouldn't it?" Nate said. "This makes no logical sense Eliot."

"I know."

"If this was to hurt me, or us, he is going to be at the funeral. He is going to want to see the results of his handiwork."

"Yeah he would."

"Hardison needs to set up cameras, he needs to screen everybody who comes, check them for facial recognition."

"Yeah good idea..." Eliot said, he wasn't going to tell the man they had everything under control. Nate needed something to occupy his mind.

"We have to make it look real, he can't know we know."

"Yeah..."

"I…I thought I had lost them…" Nate said his blue eyes filling with unshed tears as he stared at the picture in his hand. "That was…I…" Nate stumbled trying to find a way to express himself. "Now somebody out there has them and I…" Nate paused again and stared up at the ceiling blowing out a breath. "What is he doing to them...is he…torturing them, hurting them, God Eliot she's just a child" Nate said his voice breaking with emotion. "Why does he want them?"

"Nate…"

"Eliot they could still be dead, or they could be…" Nate shook his head trying to dispel the images and thoughts that were burning through his mind. "We might never find them, or who did this." He whispered, the thought of Sophie and Kate being lost forever and him not knowing if they were dead or alive, what was happening to them, what was being done to them, that was more painful for him than knowing they were dead and grieving for them. The not knowing was tearing him apart.

"We will…"

"You don't know that."

"No I do know that. Somewhere this guy has made a mistake and we will find it. You have to believe that...Somewhere there is a trail that leads straight to him and we will find it and you need to be at your best because when we do we are going to need a plan. They, Sophie and Kate, are going to need you focused Nate."

Silence settled between the two men, Eliot staring at the Mastermind who seemed lost in his thoughts. The Hitter could see the man trying to get his emotions under control.

"The funeral is in three days, we have some work to do before then." Eliot said.

"Right…"

"So Hardison will have a list shortly along with the others, you need to go through them. You can read people Nate, you know what they are capable of. These are people you have beaten and you need to narrow the lists down to who would be capable of pulling something like this off." Eliot said knowing he needed to give the Mastermind something to occupy his mind because otherwise the thoughts of what could be happening to Sophie and his daughter would overwhelm him to the point where he would be rendered useless to anybody.

"Yeah…yeah just give me a minute ok…" Nate said not looking at Eliot. "I'll be out now."

"Ok…"

"And Eliot…"

"Yeah…"

"Thanks."

"Let's just get them back ok…" Eliot said softly. Then he left the room leaving Nate to regain some composure before joining them to go over everything again and get things in place for the funeral.

The day of the funeral arrived and between Nate and the others they had narrowed the field down to only a handful of people who Nate thought would have the resources to pull off something like this and who would have the kind of twisted mind that would even consider a plan like this.

"You ready…?" Eliot asked as they drove to the church.

Nate did not reply he just nodded. It did not take much acting on his part to play the devastated husband and father, driving to the church that morning Nate felt as if it were real, that Sophie and Kate were gone and never coming back.

"Hardison…"

"Has everything set up..."

The car pulled to a stop in front of the church and Nate took a few minutes before climbing out. He was met by Father Paul who had agreed to perform the ceremony. He had not been told of what was happening, the fewer people who knew the better. Maggie and Sterling, Tara and the rest of the team also waited for them having come earlier to the church to make sure everything was in place.

Nate stepped through the doors of the church and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the two coffins. He knew it wasn't them but still the emotions welled in him. Eliot steadied him slightly as he faltered and then followed the Mastermind to the front pew where he took his seat with the rest of his family. The church was packed full of people. There were Sophie's students, and ex-students, her current contracted actors who performed regularly at her little theatre. There were ex-clients, friends, friends of Nate and the team not only Sophie, there to show their support.

Paul took his place at the pulpit and looked down on the gathered congregation of mourners. Then he began his sermon, followed by a hymn. Then he welcomed anybody who had any words to say about the deceased to come to the front. Finally Nate stood and approached the pulpit. He stopped briefly beside the coffins and closed his eyes before continuing to take his place.

"Sophie…" His voice broke as he said her name and he cleared his throat before continuing. "Sophie saved me. She gave me life when I thought that I would never have that again. She loved me without condition, without…restraint. She was the mother of my…" Nate again stopped trying to compose himself. "My beautiful baby girl Katharine…Kate. I…They were my life…I would give anything to have them back…anything…" Nate said and Eliot knew he was talking to whoever had taken them. Then he stepped away unable to say any more.

With the service concluded Nate took his place just behind the coffins as the procession was led out of the church and to the waiting hearses. The convoy of cars then left the church headed towards the cemetery. Eliot and Nate were joined by Hardison and Parker in the front car.

"Hardison…" Nate asked anxiously as the car pulled off.

"Nothing yet Nate, it's going to take some time for the programme to go through all the faces." Hardison said.

"He's already had them for five days…" Nate said his voice rising slightly.

"Nate…" Eliot said warningly. "Hardison is working as fast as he can."

"Yes…sorry…I…"

"I know Nate we all feel the same way." Hardison said not taking Nate's outburst personally. He was just as aware of how long this maniac had had Sophie and Kate and it was eating at him too, thinking about what he could be doing to them.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. They arrived at the cemetery and Nate emerged from the car with the others and walked slowly to the grave sites. Again the sight of the coffins suspended over the graves along with the two photographs of his wife and daughter made Nate falter slightly. The ceremony at the grave was short and then there was a procession as some of the group threw either flowers or dirt onto the two coffins watched carefully by the Leverage crew. Finally the four of them threw white roses, Sophie's favourite, onto their coffins and went to stand to one side. The people filed passed giving their personal condolences. Nate had refused to have a reception so this was the closest they would get. Each person who came up to them Nate scrutinised looking for some tell that they were there for more than just the funeral. One of Sophie's theatre patrons approached as the crowed thinned out.

"Mr Ford…Nate…I am so very sorry…" She said softly as she took his hand and held it between her own.

"Thank you Penelope…" Nate said smiling sadly at the woman. She was not only a patron of the theatre; she was an ex-client in a way. Her husband was a very rich and powerful man who had also been an abusive man who enjoyed inflicting pain on his wife and sixteen year old daughter. Nate, at the urging of Sophie, had stepped in to help and the man was now serving a long sentence for fraud amongst other things in the federal penitentiary.

"If there is anything I can do…anything at all…just call…" Penelope Cowan said squeezing Nate's hand tightly.

"Thank you I will." Nate said softly. Then the woman unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

"I know you loved her so much, and she loved you and your baby…this is such a tragedy." She whispered before stepping back and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Just remember…anything at all." She said before walking away.

"Who was that?" Eliot asked as they watched the woman walk to a big black limousine and climb in.

"She was a donor to the theatre. She and Sophie had become friends."

"And…?" Eliot asked sensing there was more to the woman than that.

"I helped her out of a…difficult situation." Nate said then quickly told them the abbreviated version of the story.

"So I put her husband on the list…?" Hardison said not recognising the name from his previous list of suspects.

"He's serving time."

"Well we all know that doesn't stop somebody organising revenge…" Parker said reminded of the Dubenich saga.

"Yeah…put him on the list Hardison." Eliot said nodding his agreement to Parker's statement.

Finally the last of the mourners had left. Nate and the rest headed back to the house where they were greeted by the Sterling's, Bonnano and Tara. Nate poured himself a whiskey then took a seat at the table, joined by the others.

"Anybody got anything…?" He asked taking a sip of his drink.

"Nothing…no familiar faces at the funeral. No suspicious ones either. I'm checking on that woman's husband but it seems he is locked up safe and sound with no unusual contact with anybody on the outside." Hardison said unhappily. He had nothing to offer Nate and he could read the disappointment in the man's face.

Nate looked at the Hacker and then swung his eyes around the table seeing that nobody had anything to add. He had not noticed anything untoward either.

"Dammit…" Nate breathed softly taking another sip of his drink.

"So what is the next move…?" Maggie asked of nobody and everybody at the same time.

"Until we have something…anything to go on there is no Goddamned next move…" Nate growled out angrily not looking at anybody in particular. "We have nothing…and he has…he has them and it's been five days…"

"Nate calm down…" Sterling said seeing that Nate was building up a rage at everybody and everything the entire situation was taking its toll on the Mastermind.

"Calm down…" Nate hissed at him. "You calm down Sterling, this is my wife, my daughter and some…some psychopath has them and I don't even have a place to START looking…" Nate said slamming his empty glass down on the table breaking it causing a trickle of blood to appear on his hand and the remainder of his whiskey to splash over the table.

"Ok…Let's all just calm down." Eliot said standing up when he saw anger flare in Sterling's eyes and saw that the man was about to take Nate on about his actions. "This isn't going to help anyone, let alone Sophie and Kate."

Sterling stared at the Hitter then looked back at his friend and nodded before relaxing slightly. Nate was under enormous pressure and as much as the others were too it was worse for his friend. If it were his wife and child, well he would probably be feeling the same as the Mastermind.

"Let's just start again from the beginning." Eliot said. "Hardison did you trace Sophie's steps on that day…do we have anything there?"

"Uh…oh, yeah, I got her going to the theatre and then she picked up Kate at the school and then…well…"

"The accident."

"Right."

"So somewhere between the school and the accident they were taken and replaced."

"But how…I mean I checked all the camera's around the school and nothing. They got into the car and drove away."

"Is there any point on the journey that they are not covered?"

"No man…wait…yes, the bridge…but I mean they weren't overly long going under it and…"

"Let's see it." Nate said suddenly interested in the conversation. "Let's see it Hardison…" He said standing up and getting a new glass of whiskey as Hardison pulled out his computer.

"Ok…" Hardison said as he turned the computer so that everybody could see the screen. "Here Sophie picks Kate up at the school…" He said and winced as he heard Nate's sharp intake of breath at seeing her and his daughter getting into the car. "Then they drive…then they go under the bridge…then they come out the other side…there's nothing there man." Hardison said watching the footage.

"Play it again." Nate said. "Just from where they go under the bridge to where they exit." He said leaning closer.

Hardison looked at him and then shrugged playing it again. Again nobody saw anything but Nate leaned in closer and told Hardison to play the clip again.

"What are you seeing Nate?" Eliot asked the Mastermind, he had not noticed anything at all, not even the slightest delay in the car entering under the bridge and coming out the other side.

"Play it again Hardison…" Nate said ignoring the Hitter's question. Hardison obliged then waited as Nate sat back and took another sip of his drink.

"That was where they took them. I need to see that car…"

"There was nothing left of it Nate, it was burnt out and crushed." Bonnano told him, he like Eliot had seen nothing untoward in the footage.

"I don't care…I need to examine that car…"

"Why?"

"Because…that is not our car." Nate stated downing his drink.

"Nate…" Sterling said softly thinking the Mastermind was now losing his mind.

"Same make, same model, same plates but not ours…" Nate said insistently.

"How do you figure that?" Bonnano asked. He did not doubt the Mastermind but was flabbergasted at how Nate had come to the conclusion.

"About two weeks ago…" Nate said sitting back in his chair. "Sophie hit a pole in the parking area of the mall, damaged the left front light of the car. I had been meaning to get it fixed but…"

All of them leaned in to stare at the image of the car on the screen. There was no damage to either front light.

"I'll get you to the car…" Bonnano said pulling out his phone.

**So now they have a place to start. Thank you all so very much for the great reviews. I will post the next chapter as soon as possible. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Right we can go now…" Bonnano said hanging up the phone.

"Good…Eliot you are with me and Patrick. Sterling go with Tara and Parker and check out the bridge. There might be some indication of what happened under there." Nate instructed standing up.

"What should I do…?" Hardison asked looking at Nate for some instructions.

"Our only clue is that car." Nate stated looking at the Hacker.

"Oh…ok got it…" Hardison said understanding the Mastermind. He would research the cars, how many in the area, owned by who and where they are now. Follow the trail and see where the first breadcrumb whoever this was had left them.

"I'll just stay here then shall I…?" Maggie said as all of them stood up.

"Oh Maggie…" Nate said having forgotten about the woman for a minute.

"I'll give Hardison a hand and get some food ready how's that." Maggie smiled at him.

"Thank you Maggie…" Nate said giving her a small smile.

"See you later darling." Sterling said giving his wife a kiss before following the others out.

A few hours later found them all back at the house. The mood around the table was sombre and very tense though. The car had yielded nothing, Bonnano was right; it was too damaged to hold anything of value in the way of clues. Sterling and the others had found some evidence that something had happened beneath the bridge with some broken glass and paint transfer indicating that there was a small collision of some sort. The theory was that they stopped Sophie's car and had one ready to go in its place. A review of the footage showed Nate's car emerging about ten minutes after the fake one with different number plates on it. The focus had obviously been on the car that they all thought was Nate's and so the second one was missed. Hardison's search of make and model had yielded too many vehicles of the same description in the area for it to be really of use. They were back at square one and time was ticking on.

Nate sat glaring at the glass of whiskey in his hand his mind tormenting him with thoughts of what could be happening to Sophie and Kate.

"I'm checking out all the cars, I'll narrow it down Nate…" Hardison promised the Mastermind. He got no response from Nate though. "I also got this…" Hardison said turning the screen towards Nate.

Nate looked up at the screen and then froze at what he saw. Hardison had paused the video and zoomed in. The image was grainy but it was clear enough for all of them to see what Hardison had honed in on.

"Sophie…" Nate whispered as he stared at the screen.

"Yeah…at least we know they are alive." Hardison said softly.

Nate stared at the screen and he could clearly see his wife cradling his daughter as they sat in the backseat of the car.

"I also am running facial recognition for the guy driving. I can't get a clear enough image on the person in the back seat with them for that though." Hardison continued.

"That's good work Hardison…" Sterling praised the Hacker.

"But wait that's not all." Hardison said lightly handing Eliot a sheet of paper. "I tracked the car, they were headed out of town when I lost them but that…" Hardison said pointing at the paper. "Is a list of all the places out there that they could be keeping them."

"That's really good work Hardison." Eliot said smiling at his friend.

"How do we know they didn't just keep driving?" Maggie asked putting a slight damper on the mood again.

"We don't. But at least it's something to work with." Eliot said.

"Well I'm checking ownerships of the houses to see if there are any connections, same with the cars." Hardison added.

"So we go check out these places." Parker said standing up from the table. She needed to be doing something.

"It's getting late. There are a lot of places on this list. Let's let Hardison check the ownership and then we can start again in the morning hopefully with a slightly narrowed down version." Eliot said. They were all exhausted, both mentally and emotionally from the days' events.

"I agree with Eliot." Sterling said smiling wryly at the look he received from Eliot and the others. "Let's all get some rest and then tomorrow we start again."

"Dinner is ready."

"Great I could eat a horse." Hardison said smiling at the woman.

"Well I'm going to go home." Patrick Bonnano said rising from the table. "Hardison give me a printout of that photo, I'll see if I can match it to any mug shots."

"No problem…" Hardison said handing a copy to the policeman who smiled at Hardison's preparedness.

"Good. I'll be back in the morning." He said looking at Nate but there was no reaction to his words from the Mastermind. Nate was completely absorbed in the photo of his wife and child in the back of the vehicle.

"Thanks Patrick…" Eliot said seeing that Nate was not responding. "For everything…"

Patrick nodded and then took his leave. Maggie looked around the group and then grabbed Parker who looked like she was going to rebel and insist on going, she knew the little Thief needed to do something so she decided to give her something to do.

"Come on Parker you can help with dishing up. Hardison, Eliot you two can set the table." Maggie instructed as she guided Parker into the kitchen.

"Nate…" Sterling said moving to stand behind the Mastermind who still sat staring blankly at the screen. "Let's give them room to set the table." He said laying his hand his shoulder. The light touch pulled Nate out of his reverie. "Come on…" Sterling said closing the computer and handing it to Hardison who was standing beside him.

Nate looked up at him blankly, then pushed his chair out and stood up. Sterling took his arm as if to lead him to the sofa in the living room but Nate pulled his arm away. He pushed passed Sterling grabbing the bottle of whiskey that never seemed to be far from his side anymore and stalked off into his bedroom closing the door behind him. Sterling started to go after him but was stopped by Eliot.

"Leave him be for now." Eliot said.

Sterling looked at Eliot and then nodded. The three of them quickly set the table and then Parker and Maggie appeared with the food.

"Where's Nate?" Maggie asked as they all took their seats.

"In his room." Eliot replied. "Leave him be for now Maggie." Eliot said seeing the woman turn to the room.

"He has to eat Eliot." Maggie said taking a plate and dishing up some food then walking to the door of Nate's room. She paused outside and then entered without bothering to knock, closing the door behind her.

Maggie entered the room to find Nate sitting on the bed with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a picture of his family in the other. He did not look up at her as she entered just taking a swig from the bottle and keeping his eyes on the picture.

"It's my fault…this is my fault…" He said softly.

"You don't know that." Maggie said sitting down next to him. "This may not even be about you Nate."

"Why else…?"

"Nate, I love Sophie to bits, I do, you know that. But she has led an…interesting life, she had enemies before she met you. Yes you made lots more, all of you did. This could be about a lot of things as I see it and you are right, it could be about you too, but it could have nothing to do with you too."

Nate looked up at her and she could see his blue eyes swimming in tears. Her heart clenched as she looked at him and then pulled him into a hug cursing whoever was doing this. Nate had suffered enough in his life, he did not deserve this.

"Nate, if you are going to find a way to get them back, and I don't doubt that you will, you and Eliot and Parker and Hardison, you will find a way. But if that is going to happen you have to stop this…" She said pointing at the bottle. "It's not doing anybody any good."

She could see his eyes harden as she spoke but before he could say anything she continued.

"I'm not saying don't drink Nate…" Maggie said laying her hand on his arm. "It's too late for that now. We need you to be level headed if you are going to figure this out and…and being drunk is not going to help you do that…" She held up her hand as he prepared to argue with her. "But having the DT's is not going to help either. So just…just try to take it a little easier on the stuff." She said taking his argument away from him.

"What if we don't find them?" Nate said looking down at the photo again. "What if I never know where they are…if they are alive or dead, if they are hurt, if they are being hurt…what if…"

"That's a lot of what if's that aren't helping anybody least of all you. You need to snap out of it Nate. You need to believe you are going to find them and that they are going to be fine when you do. You need to trust your team, your family to be able to help you get them back." Maggie told him. "Now…" She said reaching out and taking the bottle out of his hand. "You have a decision to make, either you are going to drink yourself into oblivion and be of no use to anybody least of all your wife and child…" She said placing the bottle on the bedside table. "Or you are going to be the man Sophie and Kate need you to be." She said standing up and placing a kiss on his cheek before stepping away from him. "Now you need to eat and you need to sleep. Or you can just drink and with that let Sophie and Kate slip further away. It's your decision." She said then turned and left the Mastermind staring after her.

"Let's eat shall we?" Maggie said sitting down at the table feeling all of their eyes on her.

"Yeah…looks good." Sterling said leaning over to his wife and giving her a kiss. He could see the unshed tears in her eyes and knew something had happened but was not going to ask her about it now.

"So are you two going to stay here tonight or go back to the hotel? There are enough bedrooms…" Parker asked after they had cleared the table.

"I think we are going to go back to the hotel. We'll be back in the morning." Sterling said. His wife needed to relax and have some time to herself and if they stayed here that was not going to happen.

"Ok…" Eliot said walking them to the door. "Thank you again for everything."

"You don't need to keep thanking us Eliot…" Maggie said leaning in and pecking the Hitter on the cheek. "We're practically family after all." She smiled at him. "Now all of you need some rest, so get some Ok."

"We will. And the same goes for you both."

"Ok, see you tomorrow." Sterling said putting his arm around his wife and walking her to their car.

After they had driven away the three returned to the kitchen table and started to go through the names on Hardison's list. They were busy for about four hours when Eliot decided they should call it a night and get some sleep. Eliot stopped in on Nate as he retired to his room. He opened the door a crack and peered in before entering fully.

"What do you think she said to him?" Parker whispered as she came up behind Eliot.

"I don't know…but whatever it was it had an effect." Eliot said.

The plate of food Maggie had brought into the room stood half eaten on the bedside table. The bottle of whiskey he had carried into the room still stood there but the cap was on and the level was about what Eliot knew it had been when he had left the table earlier. Nate lay sleeping on the bed his arms cradling the picture of his family he had been holding when he spoke to Maggie. Parker moved silently forward and draped a blanket over the sleeping man. Then the three of them retreated out the room.

"'Night…see you in the morning." Eliot said seeing Parker and Hardison into their room before entering his own.

A few minutes later silence settled over the Ford house. About an hour later the silence in Nate's room was shattered when his phone rang loudly waking the Mastermind immediately.

"Ford…" He mumbled into the phone not recognising the number.

"Mr Ford…Nate…I didn't wake you did I?" Penelope Cowan said.

"No…no it's ok." Nate said sitting up and looking at the time. It was midnight. "Who is this?" Nate asked still a little groggy from sleep and the amount of whiskey he had consumed that day.

"It's Penelope…Penelope Cowan."

"Penelope what…what can I do for you?" Nate asked running a hand over his face. What was this woman doing phoning him at this time of night.

"I…I think…I think my husband has something to do with…with…" Penelope said her voice shaky and then she stopped and sniffed audibly. "I'm sorry…I…"

"Penelope just tell me." Nate said keeping his voice as calm as he could. He was not sure what was going on but obviously this woman knew something about the so called accident.

"This is going to sound funny but I think my husband had something to do with Sophie's accident." Penelope said haltingly.

"What…?" Nate said trying to digest what she was saying. The man was a sociopath who liked to beat on woman and children and she was telling him he had his family.

"I know I sound like a lunatic, I mean I know it was an accident and I know he is locked up and everything, but…"

"No…no Penelope just tell me why you think that?" Nate said sitting straight up in bed now completely sobered up and fully awake.

"He phoned me…he phoned me earlier tonight and said…"

"What did he say?" Nate urged her on.

"He said that he had taken care of the 'bitch' and that I was next." Penelope said and Nate could hear the fear and emotion in her voice.

"I'm coming over there..."

"No…no Mr Ford I'm sorry…I'm sorry I called…I mean it was an accident right?" Penelope said suddenly sounding unsure of herself.

"Penelope listen to me, I'll be there in about thirty minutes just keep your doors locked and I'll be there soon."

"Thank you…oh thank you Mr Ford…I'm scared. He's…I'm scared…"

"It's ok Penelope…just keep the doors and windows closed. Where is your daughter?" Nate said remembering that she had a sixteen year old daughter who had also been abused by her husband.

"She's at school…"

"Ok…It's going to be ok I promise. I'll be there soon." Nate said then hung up the phone and headed straight for Eliot's room.

**So is it Penelope Cowan's husband who has caused all this chaos? Thank you so very much for the reviews. The next chapter will give some insight as where Sophie and Kate are and how they are doing. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Mommy I want to go home…" the little girl said as she sat on her mothers' lap. Sophie looked down at her daughter and smiled at her.

"Soon my darling, we'll go home soon." She assured her daughter.

"Daddy, I want daddy...where is daddy? Why do we have to stay in here? I want to go home." The little girl said. She had been asking for her father since they had been taken five days previously.

"Yes my love I know you want your daddy…he'll be here soon…I promise." Sophie said hugging her tightly trying not to show her fear for their safety.

They had not been treated badly, in fact they had been treated very well, however they had been locked in this room for five days now with no contact except for the woman who brought them their meals. Sophie had no idea who it was that had taken them or why or what they wanted from them. She could only presume that they wanted something from Nate and that she and Kate were being held to ransom. She thought back to what had happened trying to figure out why and who had taken them. She had fetched Kate from kindergarten and they were on their way home when they had been forced to a stop. Everything had happened very quickly after that. A man had forced her out of the drivers' seat by gun point and into the back of the car with her daughter who was in the car seat. Kate had started to cry and this had upset the other man who had forced himself into the back with them so Sophie had taken Kate into her arms cradling her and try to comfort her and keep her quiet. Then they had been driven to wherever they were now and put into this room, which they had not left since. She had also not seen either man from the car again. She had tried to ask what was happening and what they wanted but the woman, the only person they had contact with, would not speak to her. The room they were in was neat and clean. There was a large bed, a desk, two large comfortable chairs and a television in it. The room also had a large bathroom attached. The cupboards were filled with clothes for both her and her daughter. There were toys in one corner for Kate. Sophie stood at the window looking out. She could see the heavily armed men patrolling regularly and she knew that escape was not a question, if she had been on her own maybe, but she had her daughter with her so she was restricted in what she could try to do. The only thing she could do was hope that her husband and their family would be here soon to rescue them.

Sophie tensed slightly as she heard the door being unlocked and pulled Kate to her retreating to the corner of the room. This was not the usual time for their food to be delivered and she did not know who was coming through the door.

"Mrs Ford…" The woman who stepped through the door said her eyes searching for Sophie and Kate immediately and falling on them in the corner of the room. "Please, I am not here to hurt you." She said seeing Sophie tensed and keeping Kate behind her shielding the child with her body.

"Who are you? Why are we here?" Sophie replied still holding her position.

"My name is Susan Sellwood and again Mrs Ford I am not here to hurt you or your child, I am here to help you."

"Help me…you kidnapped me and my daughter and hold us here in this room without any explanation and now you say you are here to help me…?" Sophie said her tone one of anger and accusation.

"I am sorry for that." Susan said taking a seat on one of the overstuffed chairs. "Please Mrs Ford let me explain." She said indicating the other chair.

Sophie did not know what to think but her instincts told her the woman was not going to hurt, at least not at the moment and she desperately wanted to know what was going on, so she picked Kate up and took a seat opposite the woman. Then she raised her eyebrow in question to her.

"Your lives were in terrible danger. My employer was working with your husband on a job which I am afraid went sour. The man they were targeting is a very dangerous powerful man who would not think twice about killing you or your daughter. My employer made a promise to your husband to keep you safe when…"

"When what…where is Nate." Sophie interrupted the woman, she was getting a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Why has he not come here to tell us what is going on, he was not working on anything he would have told me if he was."

"I am not sure why your husband would not have told you Mrs Ford but be that as it may I assure you he was working with my employer. I am afraid Mrs Ford that your husband was killed…."

"What…" Sophie gasped out "Nate is…dead?"

"I am afraid so. We had to 'kidnap' you and your daughter as you say, in order to keep you safe. My employer who was working with your husband promised him to make sure you and Kate were safe, it was his dying wish."

"No…no…Oh my God…" Sophie said hardly listening to the woman as she tried to comprehend the news that Nate was dead.

"Mommy…Mommy what's wrong?" Kate said looking up at her mother, she could not follow the conversation fully but understood that whatever the woman was telling her mother it was upsetting her terribly.

"I know this is a lot to take in Mrs Ford and I am so very sorry that this has happened, however, I have been tasked with fulfilling my employers promise to your husband. I have secured this property and you are safe here for now. You will be free to move around the house and the gardens from now on. I could not allow that until I was sure that we would not have any uninvited guests, however I have determined that nobody knows where we are. I am working on getting you your daughter new identities and we will move you to a new country with a new life as soon as everything is in order. I am so very sorry this has happened, and my employer sends his condolences on your loss. Although I never met your husband, I believe he was a good man." Susan told the distraught Sophie who sat clinging to her daughter.

"Nate is…dead…?" Sophie said as an inconsolable grief that started to building inside her. She clung to Kate who saw the tears in her mothers' eyes.

"Mommy what's wrong?" The child asked not understanding what was going on but feeling that something was very wrong in her mothers' world. Sophie looked down at the little girl and the tears started to run freely then. "Don't cry Mommy Katie loves you…" The little girl said not knowing what to do as her mother cried softly.

"Oh my darling…oh Katie…" She said hugging her child and rocking gently in the chair. How was she going to explain that she would never see her father again. No…this can't be happening she thought to herself, this can't be happening.

"I know that this is hard to understand Mrs Ford but for now you must think of your child. Mr Ford's dying wish was that you two would be kept safe, I think he loved you both very much. This man that my employer and your husband were taking down will do anything in his power to hurt you. My employer has had to take his family out of the country in order to keep them safe, that is why he has not come to tell you himself. This is a very dangerous situation Mrs Ford and you and I need to discuss how we are going to proceed."

Susan sat for a few minutes watching as Sophie rocked her daughter gently and tears fell silently from her. Then she stood and approached the woman placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I will leave you alone now. I am so sorry Mrs Ford, for your loss. When you are ready, you can come downstairs and we can speak further." Susan said then left the room.

Sophie watched her leave. This can't be true, it must be a trick, she's lying her mind screamed out at her. But then she noticed that the door was not closed behind the woman they were free to go out the room just as Susan had said. If they were being kept hostage surely that would not be allowed. Why…why was this happening. What about the others, what about Eliot and Parker and Hardison…were they also in danger…were the also dead. No…no she needed more information she needed to know. Sophie wiped her tears and stood walking out of the room. She noticed that there were no guards outside the room. She looked down the passage but there was nobody to be seen. Taking Kate she made her way down the stairs looking for Susan Sellwood. She got to the bottom and walked to the front door. Turning the handle the door opened easily. Again there was nobody blocking her path and she stepped out into the sunshine and looked around the large garden.

"Looking for me Mrs Ford…?" Susan said startling Sophie slightly.

"Yes…" Sophie said turning around to look at the woman.

"Why don't we go into the garden? I am sure your daughter would like to run around a bit after being locked up for so long, then we can talk."

"Yes…" Sophie said stepping onto the patio and putting Kate down.

"Is it just you here?"

"And Miriam." Susan said and seeing the question on Sophie's face continued. "The cook, and of course the contingent of guards who patrol the grounds and the house. Believe me Mrs Ford you and Kate are safe here."

Yes but are they here to keep them safe or to keep them from leaving? Sophie thought to herself.

"I…I need to know what happened…I…"

"And I will tell you everything you want to know Mrs Ford." Susan assured her. "Let me get us something to drink and then we can talk. What can I get you some tea or coffee…?"

Sophie looked up at the woman, actually she thought she could use something a lot stronger at the moment, but she wanted to keep her head clear, she needed to understand exactly what was happening and if this woman was lying to her.

"I'll get Miriam to bring us some tea and sandwiches shall I and some milk and cookies for Kate?" She asked before making her way into the house. She returned a few minutes later carrying a glass of whiskey for her and Sophie with her. Handing Sophie the glass she sat down at the table with her.

"I thought you could use somethind a little stronger first..." Susan smiled at her. "Now you can ask me anything Mrs Ford and I will tell you want I know." Susan said sitting back and staring at Sophie waiting for the barrage of questions she knew was coming. Sophie sipped her drink watching Susan carefully. Miriam brought out the coffee and tea and the milk and cookies for Kate. Sophie called her daughter over and she happily accepted the cookies and then ran off into the garden again.

"Look mommy bunnies…" Katie cried out as a rabbit appeared out of nowhere.

"She's beautiful." Susan said watching the girl playing happily.

"What happened to Nate? You said he was…how could that be, how did it happen?"

"He was shot. He and my employer were confronting the man that they were targeting when things went wrong. Mr Ford was shot twice, he did not survive." Susan said matter-of-factly, she had no emotion in her voice and Sophie noticed that she told the tale as if it were a script she were reading.

"Who is this man and who is your employer?" Sophie asked she was getting the distinct impression that this woman was lying to her now, something was going on but she could not figure out what. Was Nate dead…if he was…She shook her head at that thought. She would know if he were dead, she would feel it.

"Well I cannot divulge that information." Susan said.

"You said you would tell me anything I wanted to know."

"Yes I did Mrs Ford…Sophie…can I call you Sophie?" Susan said. "But I am afraid that those two questions I cannot answer, for your own safety, it is better that you don't know. Look Sophie I know this is hard for you and it must be quite a shock, and I do apologise for the manner in which you were brought here. Now your husband died trying to aid my employer and he in turn has instructed you and your daughter be looked after so that is what I am going to do."

"What about my family…"

"Your family?" Susan asked slightly confused by the question.

"Eliot, Parker and Hardison…what about them, are they safe, are they also in danger? Have they been warned?"

"Oh yes your family. My employer thought the best thing to do was to…fake your deaths" Susan said.

"You did what…?" Sophie asked incredulously.

"To the world Mrs Ford you and your daughter died in a terrible car accident. You must understand it was the only way that we could assure your safety." Susan explained. "So contacting anybody is not an option. You will notice that there are no phones in the house, that is also for your own safety. From now on you will have to make a new life for yourself and your daughter, you cannot make contact from people from you old life, you would be endangering yourself and Kate." Sophie stared at the woman. She was definitely lying to her. There was something else going on here, some other reason for them to be held here but she had no idea what it could be.

"They think we are dead…?" Sophie said in disbelief, how could whoever this was pull that off?"

"Yes I am afraid so…" Susan said getting up and retrieving a newspaper form a table nearby. She opened the paper to the page which reported on the truck versus car accident that had taken the lives of a woman and a three year old child. Sophie stared at the picture blankly, then at the photo of her and Kate in the corner with the caption beneath proclaiming them to be the deceased.

"What…what is the plan here…" Sophie asked tearing her eyes away from the paper to look at the woman who sat opposite her.

"Well, you will stay here for at least a few months, then once all the documentation is in order you will be relocated with your daughter. You will be given new names and identities. My employer has allocated a large amount of funds in order to make your lives very comfortable. You will both be very well taken care of."

"What if I don't want to leave America?" Sophie asked. None of this made sense. Firstly Nate would never take on a dangerous client without telling her, or at least seeking help from the team. He would never endanger his family, it was not in him. No this woman was lying to her, the paper could be faked, none of this was true.

"Well that is not an option. If you remain in this country my employer assures me that you will never be out of danger."

"I don't understand"

"Sophie I can see that this has all been a little much for you today, a lot to take in. Perhaps in the morning we could talk again." Susan said standing up from the table.

"No…no please I have so many more questions…my husband…Nate…please." Sophie said pleadingly. Although she was almost sure the woman was lying about Nate's death the thought that he could be dead made her heart clench. She looked out at her daughter then turned back to Susan. "Please…"

"Tomorrow Mrs Ford, for now why don't you spend some time with your daughter out here in the gardens…I am afraid though that you will still need to be confined at night, for your own good of course," Susan said with finality in her voice.

"Of course…" Sophie said under her breath.

Susan walked away from Sophie and into the office closing the door. Immediately she was alone she pulled out her cell phone and dialled a number. She told the person on the other side that there may be complications and that she believed that Sophie was not buying the story.

Sophie quickly moved to the closed door straining to hear what Susan was saying on the phone.

"Yes I understand they will be there and will wait for the optimum time. We may have a problem on this side though. I don't think the good Mrs Ford is buying the story about her husband. What do you want me to do?" Susan asked the person Sophie presumed was her boss.

"Fine…but if they try to get away…" Susan said taking a drag from the cigarette she had lit during the conversation. "I cannot guarantee that they will not be harmed." A silence followed when Sophie supposed that the other person was giving thier she heard the snap of the phone as it was closed.

Sophie quickly made her way back to the patio and took a seat pouring herself a cup of tea and watched as her daughter ran around the grass chasing the bunny. Sophie was confused and frightened. She had her daughter to think of. Who were these people, this Susan and whoever she had been talking to on the phone, her boss? Was Nate really dead, if he wasn't where was he? Did he think she was dead...oh God if he thought they had been killed. She could only imagine what he was going through if that were the case. Why were they keeping her and Kate here? So many questions and no answers, Sophie knew she was in trouble but she had to play it carefully, she was not alone, she had a three year old precious child to take care of and no matter what she did, she would make sure Kate was safe.

Susan stood at the window of the study she was in looking out at the child play. Her mother joined her after a short while. "Well Mrs Ford, if you give me any trouble…instructions or not, you'll find yourself just as dead as that newspaper article said…" Susan said lighting up a cigarette as she watched the mother and child. "I know a lot of people that are looking for little girls too…people with good money." She said taking a drag of the cigarette and staring at the little girl.

**Thanks for the reviews. Who is Susan's employer and why do you think they want to keep Sophie and Kate alive and hidden away? Do you think Susan is going to kill Sophie and steal Kate away despite her instructions?. What do you think Nate and the others have come up with? Is Hilton Cowan the mastermind behind this whole debacle, or is there some other power at work? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please remember to let me know what your thoughts are.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nate arrived at Penelope Cowan's house thirty minutes later with Eliot, Hardison and Parker in tow. She opened the door and they moved in quickly closing and locking the door behind them.

"Eliot, Parker make sure it's secure. Hardison do your magic." Nate instructed and then took Penelope by the arm leading her into the living room and sitting her down on the sofa before taking a seat beside her. "Ok Penelope talk to me."

"He called me…he called me and told me what I told you. I knew he meant Sophie, he knew I had asked her to help me and that was how you…you…well took care of him." Penelope said he was visibly shaken and tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. "Then he said I am next. He said I would…he said he would…" Penelope said her voice halting as she felt the tears well and her fear grow.

"Ok…ok we aren't going to let anything happen to you I promise…" Nate said. Penelope nodded and then wiped away her tears. "We'll take care of him I promise."

"Thank you Mr Ford…Nate…thank you…I am so sorry…" She whispered pulling him into a hug. "This is my fault…Sophie and Kate…can you ever forgive me?"

"Perimeter is clear." Eliot said walking into the room before Nate could answer the woman.

"House is clear." Parker said as she followed him in.

"I'm hooked up to all the security cameras and I have a tap on the phone for if he calls again." Hardison said looking up from his computer that he had set up at the table to the back of the room.

"Penelope, Eliot is going to stay here with you to make sure you are safe…" Nate said pulling out of the hug.

"No…no please…" Penelope said looking at Nate with tear filled eyes. "Please could you stay…I know…I know it is a difficult time for you but…but I am scared and I…I trust you." She said sounding pathetic and scared. "Please Nate…" She pleaded reaching out and holding his arm tightly.

"Ok…Ok I'll stay here." Nate said softly. He felt for the woman, her husband was a sadistic man who had put her and her daughter through hell for the eighteen years they were married. "We are going to need to set up a room we can work from though."

"No…no problem…the study…Hilton's study… you can use that." Penelope said indicating a door to the side of the room. "I…I was never allowed in there and I haven't been in since he…since he left." She told him.

"Hardison…" Nate said throwing his head in the direction of the study. Hardison nodded and packed up his computer making for the room. He would also go through the room thoroughly there might be some clues in there as to where this Hilton Cowan might have places that he would take Sophie and Kate to. If the wife had not gone through his papers and cleared out the room they may just get lucky.

"Let me get us something to drink ok Penelope. Would you like some tea of coffee…?"

"I think the occasion calls for something a little stronger." Penelope smiled. Nate nodded and walked to the wet bar. He poured himself a small whiskey and one for Penelope before returning to the sofa.

"Nate…" Penelope said her eyes filling with tears again. "This is all my fault…I should never have involved Sophie in the first place." She said taking a large swallow of her whiskey. "Now your wife and beautiful baby are dead and…and it's all my fault." She said tears again running down her cheeks as she spoke.

"No…no Penelope please…" Nate told the woman. "None of this is your fault. Your husband is a sociopath and it's his fault…" Nate said softly. "I'll make sure he pays for what he has done and I will make sure he does nothing to harm you, not ever again." Nate and the others had made the decision not to tell the woman of the recent developments concerning the accident, that Sophie and Kate were still alive.

"Oh Nate…" Penelope said starting to shake with sobs again. Nate moved forward and took the woman into his arms consoling her as she wept.

"Nate get down…" Eliot shouted sending the Mastermind into action as he pulled Penelope to the ground just before a barrage of gunshots swept the living room.

"Eliot…" Nate shouted out as he shielded the woman's body with his as more bullets flew over their heads and into the wall.

Then the bullets stopped and everything went silent. Penelope tried to get up but Nate held her down.

"No stay down Penelope…" Nate said not wanting the woman to expose herself. He was not sure their attackers were done yet. "Eliot…"

"They're gone… Took off after peppering the house." Eliot said coming into the room. "Not very professional." Eliot told the Mastermind as he helped Penelope to her feet.

"It's him…he's going to kill me." Penelope said clinging to Nate.

"We are not going to let that happen Penelope I told you." Nate said wrapping his arm around her. Then he noticed that his hand was wet and sticky. "Penelope…" He said looking down at the woman and noticing the graze on her arm. "Eliot…" He called out leading her to the sofa and sitting her down. "Have you got any first aid stuff here Penelope?" Nate asked her.

"In the bathroom…upstairs…" Penelope said.

"Ok…it's not bad, just a graze…" Nate said as he moved the sleeve up the arm exposing the ugly furrow on her arm.

Eliot returned into the room carrying the first aid kit he had retrieved and took Nate's place at the woman's side in order to dress the wound.

"Got the registration..." Parker said handing Hardison a piece of paper.

"Ok, I think it would be best Penelope if you came home with me. We can protect you better there." Nate said watching as Eliot finished with her.

"I…if you think so…" Penelope said softly.

"Ok Parker go with her to get her packed. Hardison we need to know who owns that car, Eliot get the car." Nate instructed as he poured himself a small tot of whiskey and downed it.

Within ten minutes they were all in the car and headed toward Nate's house. Penelope sat in the back with Nate and Parker while Hardison and Eliot sat up front. They arrived at the house and quickly filed inside with Parker and Eliot making sure that the perimeter was secure.

"Well the car was reported stolen earlier this evening. So that's a dead end." Hardison told the group as they gathered at the table.

"Hardison this guy must be talking to somebody on the outside…"

"I'm telling you Nate nothing, not even visitors, I don't know how he is pulling this off." Hardison told the Mastermind frustrated that he could not figure out how the man was organising the attacks.

"Well we need to get to him then and ask him." Nate said softly.

"He's in a federal prison Nate." Eliot said.

"Yeah…well he is planning prison break…" Nate said looking up at his Hitter.

"He is…oh…he is…" Parker smiled.

"Yes and it's a good thing he's got people on the outside to organise it for him." Nate said looking knowingly at the three of them.

"Cool…" Parker said. At least they were now going to do something and breaking into a Federal Prison seemed like fun, and when Eliot was let loose on this guy she was sure he would give up Sophie and Kate.

"What are you going to do?" Penelope asked her eyes wide with fear.

"We are going to get your husband out of prison and then we are going to ask him some questions." Nate said. "Don't worry you are safe here." He told her patting her hand gently.

"But…but you can't break him out of prison." Penelope said her voice full of angst and desperation. "He…he tried to kill us Nate…he killed Sophie and Kate and now he tried to kill us…if you let him loose…"

"Penelope please…we'll take care of you don't worry, he won't be able to hurt you." Nate said trying to reassure the woman who appeared to be freaking out at the thought of them getting Hilton out of prison.

"But why…why break him out. He's doing this…he'll kill us please don't…Nate, please can't you just…just kill him?" She rambled. Nate looked at the woman with a quizzical look. She wanted them to murder her husband in prison? Of course she did not understand that he needed to speak to the man, he needed to find out where his family were. She thought Sophie and Kate were dead and she was scared she would be next, that must be the reason for her acting the way she was. To be honest he thought, he would probably feel the same if the man had done to him what he had done to her and her daughter.

"I want to talk to him." Nate told her.

"Why…why…you are going to bring him here and then…then he is going to kill me…kill us…" Penelope said angrily at him pulling away from him and running into the nearest bedroom slamming the door behind her. Nate watched her go and shook his head.

"So we break him out and then…" Eliot asked.

"Then we make him talk. He is going to tell me where Sophie and Kate are if it is the last thing he ever does." Nate said softly causing Eliot to look at him with concern. Nate was going off the deep end and this was not going to end well. "So Hardison we need plans, we need schedules…you know the drill." He told the Hacker.

"Done…" Hardison said getting busy again on the computer.

"So Nate…" Eliot said coming to stand next to the Mastermind and handing him a glass of whiskey. "We get him out, he tells us where Sophie and Kate are and then…"

"Then I kill him. I don't make the same mistake twice…" Nate said taking the drink and walking into his office leaving Eliot to watch him go clenching his jaw shut in frustration.

**So are they going to be able to pull off the prison break? Will Hilton tell them what he has done with Sophie and Kate? What will Nate do if he doesn't? How is Penelope going to react when if they get him back to the house? Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Two days later they were all ready to get Hilton Cowan out of Federal Prison. Bonnano, Sterling and Maggie had voiced their opposition to the plan. Sterling said he could get into the prison to question the man but Nate had insisted that the only way was to break the man out.

Getting Hilton out of prison turned out to be easy, Hardison used his skills to hack into the prison and schedule a transfer for the man. Eliot made sure the driver that day was out of commission and he took his place. They had Hilton Cowan in their hands by the end of the afternoon and were on their way to Nate and the others who were waiting at Nate's house for their arrival. Eliot had set up one of the rooms so that they could use it as an interrogation room. Once they arrived Hilton was taken straight there and then the group gathered around to discuss who was going to do the questioning and particularly Sterling and Bonnano were concerned about how they were going to question the man and who was going to question him.

"I don't have time for this…" Nate said irritably. He was going to get the information he needed out of the man no matter what he had to do to get it.

"Nate…" Sterling said and then was interrupted by a gunshot.

Eliot was immediately on his way to the source of the noise. The door to the room they had put Cowan was in stood open and Penelope Cowan stood in the one corner holding a gun and crying.

"What the…" Eliot said moving to check the man. He was dead. The bullet had penetrated his chest killing him instantly.

"Penelope what have you done…?" Nate snarled at the woman standing at the door and staring at the scene. His one connection to where Sophie and Kate were was gone.

"I…he was going to kill me…he killed Sophie and Kate…I…he wanted to kill me…" Penelope said pathetically dropping the gun and sliding down the wall staring at Nate with tears flowing down her face.

"You stupid…he was…"

"Nate…" Sterling said grabbing the mans' arm preventing him from going saying anything further and from approaching the woman.

"Well he ain't going to be talking anytime soon…" Eliot said picking up the gun Penelope had dropped.

Nate pulled his arm out of Sterling's grip and turned away from the scene. Now Hilton would never be able to tell him where Sophie and Kate were and with him dead, if he could not communicate with whoever was working with him…Penelope's actions could have signed his wife and daughters death warrants.

"Penelope come with me…" Maggie said helping the still sobbing woman off the floor and leading her out of the room, placing herself between Nate and her.

"Now what…?" Parker said staring at the dead man.

"I don't know…but we have a dead body on our hands…an escaped federal prisoner no less." Bonnano said sighing heavily, this complicated things. He was not sure how they were going to deal with that problem, never mind the fact that they now had nothing to go on regarding Sophie and Kate.

"This just got a whole lot more complicated." Sterling said thinking along the same lines as Bonnano.

"Not to mention we are back at square one…" Eliot said looking down at the dead man.

Nate paced up and down in his little office. He was angry and frustrated. His one link to his wife and child had just been killed and he had no idea what to do next. Damn the woman, did she not know what she had done? Did she…? He asked himself the question hitting home suddenly. Was her husband really behind this, or was this all her doing. He thought back to when he had helped her out of the hell she had been in. There was no denying that her husband was a bastard, he had seen the results of his abuse not only on her but her daughter. She had gotten close to Sophie after that spending much of her time at the theatre. No…this was impossible…she wouldn't do this, she couldn't do this. Yes she had the money, she had the resources, but she was surely not the type to do this, she would never hurt Sophie…would she? Nate shook his head trying to put his thoughts in order. Since the funeral she had…she was the one who pointed the finger at Hilton…no it just could not be. There was only one way to find out and if it was her that had done this…Nate swallowed hard and poured himself a small whiskey which he downed immediately. Then he strode out of the room and towards Penelope's.

"Nate…she's in shock…" Maggie said grabbing his arm as he passed her.

"I need to talk to her." Nate said his voice soft and calm, but Maggie knew better.

"I don't think that is a good idea right now Nate."

"Frankly Maggie I don't care what you think…that woman knows something and she is going to tell me what."

"Nate…"

"Stay out of this Eliot." Nate said pulling his arm away and turning to face the group gathered around. He flicked his eyes from one face to another seeing the concern and fear on all of them. Did they really think he would harm a woman…He smiled to himself then, a hard tight smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "I am not going to hurt her…I just want to talk to her." He assured them all.

"I'll go in with you." Sterling said walking forward.

"No…" Nate said firmly. "No…I think I'll get more out of her alone."

"Nate…"

"Enough." Nate said his voice now hard. "I am going in there alone to talk to Penelope."

"Fine…but Nate if you…"

"I will not hurt her. I give you my word." Nate said looking Patrick Bonnano in the eye. "But she knows something, she knows a lot more than she is saying and she is going to tell me what she knows."

With that Nate turned and walked to the door of Penelope's room which was closed. He stopped in front of the door and then blew out a long breath calming himself. Then he knocked softly on the door.

"Penelope…" He called out. "Penelope it's me Nate…can I come in?"

There was no response and Nate had to restrain himself from storming into the room, he knew that was not the way to play this so he knocked again.

"Please Penelope…I…I just want to make sure you are alright." He said softening his voice. The others watched and Nate could feel their eyes on him. He knew they were confused about what he was doing but they would just have to bear with him for a while. He reached up to knock again when the door opened to reveal a tear stained Penelope.

"Nate…I…I am sorry…" Penelope said her voice hitching as the tears fell down her face again.

"It's ok…I understand…You've been through so much at his hands…I understand…" Nate said stepping forward and taking the woman into his arms and rocking gently. "Can I come in…?" He whispered in her ear.

Penelope pulled away from him but still held his hand in her. She smiled at him and nodded. Nate smiled back at her and entered the room closing the door behind them.

"What the hell was that?" Hardison asked after the door shut.

"I don't know…" Eliot said softly. "I guess we will just have to wait and see." The Hitter said staring at the door his ears straining to hear any sign of violence.

"I hope he knows what he is doing." Sterling said as he wrapped his arm around his wives waist pulling her to him.

"He always does…" Parker said but there was still concern in her blue eyes as she moved to stand beside Hardison.

"Yeah…he always does…" Bonnano said softly.

**Thank you all so very much for your reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, please let me know what you thought.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nate entered Penelope's room watching every move she made as she walked to the sofa that was against the room. He followed her and they both sat down each turned to face each other.

"Nate…"

"Shhh…it's ok Penelope."

"No it's not…you wanted…you wanted closure and I…I took it away from you and I am sorry…I am so sorry Nate." Penelope said the tears starting to pool in her eyes again as she held Nate's gaze.

"Yes I wanted closure. I wanted to…I needed to know why." Nate said softly.

Penelope stared at him and they sat in silence for a few moments as each considered what to say next.

"You know Sophie was a lucky woman." Penelope said reaching out an resting her hand on Nate's knee. He did not make a move to pull away , instead he placed his hand on hers and asked what she meant.

"She…she had you. You who were always there for her, always loved her. You never hurt her, never raised a hand to her. You took care of her." Penelope continued.

"Now I've lost her…" Nate said feeling his emotions welling again. He needed this woman to talk to him and he needed to make her feel he was vulnerable. He had a feeling that was what she wanted. "I don't think…I can't live without her." He said not having to fake the emotion that caused tears to sting his eyes.

"No…no Nate. You can…" Penelope said moving closer to him. "You can and you must. She would want you to."

Nate smiled at her, his blue eyes swimming in tears.

"You know she would be proud of you. She was proud of you."

"Proud of me…" Penelope said subtally closing the gab between them until they were almost touching.

"Yes. After everything you went through, everything Hilton did to you, you didn't just curl up and die, you used your resources, your money to help others in your own situation."

"It's what you would have done isn't it Nate. You help people like me. You take care of people, you are such a wonderful man…" Penelope said gaining in confidence now. Nate did not seem angry with her. He was confiding in her. "I often thought…" Penelope stopped suddenly realising that she was about to say something she shouldn't.

"You often thought what Penelope…Penny…can I call you Penny…?" Nate said is voice low and full of emotion.

"Penny…my father used to call me Penny…" Penelope said smiling through fresh tears as she looked at Nate. "I would like it if you did…" She said softly.

"So Penny…what is it that you thought…I…I really would like to know."

"I just…"Penelope said hesitantly.

Nate leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder then cupped her cheek softly.

"What Penny…"

"Well…I was jealous of her…" Penelope said then seeing a flash of anger in Nate's eyes she pulled away slightly. "I mean…I mean you are…She had you and I had…Hilton…" She said spitting out the name of her husband with pure venom in her voice.

"Now…now I have nobody…My wife…my child…my beautiful little girl…"

"That's way Nate…that's why I had to do it. I had to, you are not that type of man, you would not have avenged them in that way and you needed to, you needed it so I…" Penelope said dropping her head slightly.

Nate reached out and lifted her head up until their eyes met. Hers filled with tears.

"You are such a strong woman…such a…"

"Oh Nate…I know you loved Sophie, I know she loved you but…"

"But she's gone…They…they're gone…" Nate finished for her.

"Yes" Penelope whispered.

"I don't know what I am going to do now…" Nate said softly.

"You will carry on, that is what she would want. She would want you to be happy." Penelope told him her hand now resting firmly on Nate's leg. "She would want you to go on…"

"I don't know if I can…"

"You must…I…I can help you Nate…" Penelope said boldly moving forward and embracing Nate. "I can help you if you would let me." She whispered.

Nate sat back smiling at her through his tears. He pushed her slightly away from him but did it gently and as if he were reticent to. Then he took a deep breath and blew it out indicating he was desperately trying to regain his composure.

"Oh Nate…don't worry I'll take care of you…I'll help you get through this I promise." She said hugging him tightly to herself and rubbing her hands across his back rhythmically.

"You are such a strong woman Penny…just…just like Sophie." Nate said haltingly. "I mean the way you…you set up that whole network to help those women…to get them away from their abusive husbands…Sophie…Sophie spoke of you often of your courage and your ability to…to take care of the woman…to get them spirited away and safe…free from their husbands." Nate said. "I wish…I wish I could be as strong as you."

"You don't have to be Nate…I'll be strong for you…you can lean on me." Penelope said now feeling as if she were closer to Nate than she had ever been. He needed her and she was going to be there for him, she would show him that there was life after Sophie.

"Thank you Penny…you don't know what this means to me." Nate breathed fighting his urge to pull away from her and beat her into telling him what she had done with his wife and child.

He was now sure she was the Mastermind behind all of this. She had the resources, especially to spirit people away, faking deaths, making people disappear. Why had he not seen it earlier? Why had he fallen for her deception? There was only one small hope in what was happening and that was that Nate was sure the woman would not hurt Kate and Sophie. She would simply make them disappear out of his life. A shiver ran through him at the fleeting fear of what Penelope would do to Sophie if she did not go along with whatever she had staged to keep Sophie away from him and their family. He swore if one hair on her or Kate's head had been hurt, he would make Penelope pay for it, woman or not. For now though he had to play his part. He had to get her to confide in him, he had to trick her into giving him something he could work with. This woman was unstable and if she realised that he knew what she was doing there was no telling what she would do, to him, to Sophie and Kate…to herself.

"I promise Nate everything will be alright…" Penelope said softly as she felt him shiver with what she thought was emotion at having her hold him, having her soothe him, having her love him.

**So it was Penelope that was behind everything. Now Nate has to pretend to let her get close to him in order to get the information he needs from her. Will he be able to trick her into giving him something that could help? Thanks for the reviews, they are so greatly appreciated. Please don't forget to let me know what you thought of this chapter to.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Nate had been in Penelope's room for more than two hours and the tension outside the room was growing.

"How the hell did she get a gun in the first place?" Sterling said and although he did not direct the question directly at Eliot everybody knew that was who he was asking.

Eliot glared at the man without responding. He had been going over that particular issue in his mind since they had found the woman standing over her dead husband.

"How did she get into the room…?" Maggie asked also to nobody in particular.

"I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. It happened, the man is dead and I'll wager, just like Nate in there, that she planned it. She didn't want us talking to him." Bonnano said. He could feel the tension between Eliot and Sterling. He did not know the setup and he did not know the history, but one thing he did know, getting into anything right now was not going to help the situation in any way whatsoever.

"The question is really why didn't she want us to talk to him? Because he had nothing to do with this and it was all her doing? But for what purpose? I mean Nate helped her get away from that guy…Sophie was her friend…and Kate…it just makes no sense." Hardison said.

"A classic case of wanting what you haven't got." Parker said. "She wants Nate and Sophie has him and so she freed him up so she could move in."

"Why didn't she just 'get rid of them' then?" Maggie asked not understanding why Penelope would go to all the trouble she had in staging the accident and the so called deaths of Sophie and Kate.

"I don't think she wanted to hurt Sophie or Kate, she just wanted them out of Nate's life. I don't think she is a killer." Parker told the woman.

"But we don't know that for sure." Hardison said.

"No we don't." Parker affirmed.

"This must have been a long time in the planning." Maggie said.

"Yeah a long time…but how…?"

"I am sure Nate will tell us when he gets out of there." Parker said. "But for now instead of sitting around wondering, let's dig into her past. Not when she was with her husband but after. What was she doing…who was she spending time with…how did she fill her time." Parker said looking at Hardison.

"On it…" Hardison said moving off to get started.

"Patrick has she ever been involved in anything…A person of interest in anything…?" Parker asked.

"Yeah, I'll check."

"I'll check on my side too." Sterling said before Parker could ask.

"I'll see if she has any connections, if she tried to hire anybody..." Eliot said moving off and flipping open his phone.

"How long ago did Nate and Sophie actually get involved with her?"

"About a year ago…" Hardison called out from his computer station, he had done some research when checking out Hilton as a suspect. "Hilton was a real bastard, liked beating on his wife and his child. She, Penelope met Sophie when she started getting involved with the theatre as a Patron. That was about a year ago and then Sophie, well she asked Nate to help with Mrs Cowan's problem. He did and…well let's just say the end result was Hilton ended up in prison."

"Ok but usually men like that put nothing in their wives names, I mean they like to keep them dependant, tell them nothing about finance or anything else…they tend to keep them on a short leash." sterling offered.

"True, but Mrs Cowan was the one with the money. It was her family money inherited when her father died shortly before she met and married Mr Cowan." Hardison said. "When he married her she had just turned twenty one. She led a very sheltered life, protected by Daddy…" Hardison continued. "She studied languages at university and graduated shortly before her father's death. She met Hilton Cowan a few months later. Six months after that they were married."

"He targeted her?" Maggie said raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah…zoomed in on a vulnerable woman who had lots…and I mean lots of money." Hardison confirmed. "Anyway Penelope fell pregnant almost immediately with their only child… Their daughter Shirley, now sixteen and in boarding school…she also suffered at the hands of her father."

"So along comes Nate and gets her out of the hell she had been in for eighteen years or so." Maggie said.

"Yeah and then she started getting more involved in the theatre, spending more time with Sophie…" Hardison confirmed.

"Yes, she spent a lot more time, she even baby sat Kate for us on a few occasions." Nate's voice startled all of them as he walked into the room.

"Nate…" Maggie said looking up at him and then back at the closed door of the room he had just left.

"She's sleeping." Nate said. He had sat with Penelope allowing her to rest her head on his lap as the talked until she fell asleep. "It's been a big day for her." He said as he poured himself a whiskey then returned to stand in the front of the room facing all of them.

"She's got Sophie and Kate." Parker said. It was a statement and not a question.

"Yes I believe she has." Nate said calmly. "Penelope set up a network to help other woman like herself."

"Abused woman…"

"Right, the network is extensive. She has experts working for her. She gets woman out of their…situations…makes sure they are set up in new lives with new identities, money…"

"So she has the means to do this…"

"Yes."

"But Nate these networks they are set up so that they are almost impossible to follow, volunteers and things, why would they help her to spirit away Sophie and Kate when they did not want to go, I mean I don't think she could use them."

"No she couldn't you're right, but she could use her contacts, people she uses to set up the 'disappearances', get the woman out in the first place."

"Ok I'll check that out." Hardison said.

"Well that was my sergeant at the precinct. Penelope Cowan bailed out a woman…one Susan Sellwood…she was arrested for beating a man to death…"Patrick said as he finished on the phone.

"One of the husbands…?" Nate asked.

"Yeah it seems so, that was about six months back. Anyway Susan dropped off the face of the earth after that there is still a warrant out for her arrest on suspicion of murder. She also has a bit of a rap sheet for assault with a deadly weapon amongst other things."

"Nice woman…" Maggie said under her breath.

"Investigating officer will mail me the file on her."

"Good…Hardison you do some digging too. I want to know everything about this Susan Sellwood." Nate instructed the Hacker. "I don't think Penelope would hurt either Sophie or Kate, but…"

"Susan might." Parker finished for him.

"That's not going to happen, now that we have something to work on we'll get them back…" Hardison said softly.

"Yes we will…" Nate said downing the rest of his drink and, putting the glass down, he made his way back to Penelope's room. "You guys need to follow my lead with her…wherever that goes." Nate said not turning round to face them. Then he disappeared back into the room closing the door behind him.

"What does that mean?" Maggie asked staring after Nate.

"I don't know, but I got a feeling that we are not going to like it." Eliot said softly.

"Well let's get him what he needs." Parker said. She did not care what Nate was planning as long as it brought Sophie and Kate back and she would back him in anything he did.

**Thank you all again for the great reviews I have received. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as well. So how is Nate going to get Penelope to tell him what he needs to know? Will they be able to get to Sophie and Kate before Susan does something to them? Next chapter will be up soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Mrs Ford, there has been a change of plans. We need to get you two out of here now." Susan Sellwood said as she approached Sophie who sat outside watching Kate play in the garden.

"What do you mean…"

"Well it seems that my employer feels that you are in danger here. She thinks that you might be found and then…well she can't guarantee your safety."

"Where are we going." Sophie asked noting that the mysterious employer was a woman. That was unexpected.

"I don't know and I couldn't tell you anyway, so just get your kid and get packing." Susan told her. "We are not coming back here so take what you need. I have put suitcases in your room." Susan said walking off before Sophie could ask any more questions.

"Kate…" Sophie said standing up and walking to the edge of the stairs. "Katie darling we have to go upstairs."

"But why Mommy…the bunnies are here." Kate said turning to face her mother and putting her hands on her hips.

"I know my darling but we have to pack…" Sophie told her daughter.

"Pack…" Kate said suddenly excited as she ran to her mothers' side. "Are we going home? Are we going to Daddy?" She shouted enthusiastically.

"Oh my darling…" Sophie said picking her child up and hugging her to herself. "No, not yet, but soon I promise." She told her as she carried her into the house and up the stairs.

"But Mommy I want to go home." Kate pouted. "I want to go home to Daddy…" The little girl said tears welling in her eyes and falling unheaded by her.

"I know my darling, I know and so do I. But we have to be patient; we have to be good ok." Sophie said wiping her daughters' tears away. "I promise my love we will go home to your father soon." She said hugging her again. Then she put the little girl down on the bed. "But now we have to pack up everything, so why don't you choose the toys you want to take with us while I pack our clothes alright." She smiled softly.

"Ok Mommy…" Kate said jumping of the bed and running to the pile of toys.

Sophie watched her for a while her own eyes filling with unshed tears. "Please Nate…wherever you are we need you". She said softly to herself, then turning she started packing.

Sophie was well into her packing when she felt a tug on her shirt. Turning around she saw her daughter standing in front of her. She sat down on the bed and leaned forward.

"Hey there, you all done packing up your toys you want?" She asked.

"I love you Mommy…" Kate said softly.

"Oh my darling, darling girl…" Sophie said pulling her daughter to her. "I love you too so very very much." She said softly. "And I promise everything is going to be alright…" She whispered.

"Oh so sweet…" Susan said appearing at the door and seeing mother and daughter wrapped in each others arms. "Are you packed?"

"Almost…" Sophie said putting Kate down.

"Good because we leave within the hour." Susan said. "I will be back to get the bags in a few minutes…be ready."

"Susan…" Sophie said following the woman out of the door. "Susan…can we speak?"

"What is you want Mrs Ford?" Susan said turning around her voice showing her irritation.

"I just…" Sophie said coming to a stop in front of her. "I just want to know where we are going…? What's happened?"

"I told you I can't tell you that. Just get packed and ready." Susan said turning away from her.

Sophie reached out and grabbed her arm stopping her from walking way. Susan swung around quickly and the look on her face told Sophie all she needed to know.

"Don't ever do that Mrs Ford…" Susan said hotly and Sophie could see she was fighting the urge to hit her.

"I'm sorry I just…" Sophie said pulling away and stepping back. She could not afford to anger this woman, her daughters' life was in the balance and whatever she had to do she would to keep the child safe.

"Just get yourself and your kid ready and no more questions." Susan said spinning around and walking away from Sophie.

Sophie watched her go. Something had changed. Something had happened but what and what did it mean for her and Kate? She had to find a way out, she had to get Kate away from Susan, she had a very bad feeling that whatever was coming next it would not be good for either her or her daughter. Where the hell was Nate, where were the others…?

"Mommy…" Kate called brining her out of her thoughts.

"Yes darling." Sophie said smiling down at her daughter.

"Why is she angry?"

"Oh darling she's not angry…she just wants us to get ready that's all…" Sophie told her then taking her hand she led her back into the room to finish packing.

"I don't like her…" Kate said seriously the expression her face making Sophie smile.

"That's ok…I don't like her either." Sophie said kissing her on the head. "But for now my darling we have to do what she tells us ok?"

"Ok Mommy…" Kate said picking up the doll that was lying on the bed.

"Is that the only thing you want to take with?" Sophie said seeing that Kate had brought no other toys to be packed.

"Yes…" Kate said hugging the doll.

"Ok well you can carry her with you alright."

Kate nodded happily and hugging her doll to her she climbed on the bed and watched as Sophie finished packing everything and then closed up the suitcases.

"You ready…?" Susan said popping her head in the door just as Sophie finished.

"Yes." Sophie said turning towards her.

"Good…" Susan said stepping into the room and motioning the two men behind her to collect the bags.

Sophie studied them realising they were the same two who had taken them what seemed like a lifetime ago, and then felt her daughter cling to her leg as the men walked up to the bed and took the two bags Sophie had just finished with. Sophie wrapped her arm around her daughter and held her close to her.

"Come on you two, let's go." Susan said indicating the door. Sophie picked up Kate and walked out the door followed closely by Susan and if Sophie had seen the look on the woman's face she would have been more than a little afraid for her and Kate's safety.

**Why is Susan moving them? Has Penelope gotten in touch with her? Does she suspect something? Thanks again for the reviews, please keep them coming.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Nate and Penelope came out of her room together an hour later to be met with only Parker, Hardison and Eliot, the others having gone home for the evening.

"Eliot…why don't you make us some supper, I've been telling Penny here how well you cook." Nate said as they approached the three who stood staring at them.

"Sure…I'll get started." Eliot said noting that Nate called the woman Penny and was holding her hand intimately.

"I think we'll go see if he needs any help." Hardison said catching Nate's motion to him to get himself and Parker into the kitchen.

"Well I could do with some coffee…" Nate said. "Would you like some tea Penny?"

"Yes…I'll help…"

"No…no it's ok let me get it for us. You just stay here and relax…It's been a hard day for you with…well just relax and I'll be back in a minute." Nate said sitting her down on the sofa and squeezing her hand gently.

"You…you are so wonderful…after everything you have gone through in the past week and still…" Penelope halted her voice hitching with emotion and then she smiled at him. "Thank you Nate, for understanding…for…"

"Enough said Penny…no more talking about what happened ok…let's just…just move on." Nate said softly before leaving her alone and heading for the kitchen.

Nate walked into the kitchen to find all three of them waiting expectantly for him.

"You checked properties…?" Nate asked as he made his way to the cupboards taking out two cups. Then he turned the kettle on to make Penelope's tea.

"Yeah…nothing around here…busy checking anything that may be under a dummy corporation or trust." Hardison told him.

"Good. Also check all your contacts and Sterling's see if anybody was given the job to create new ID's for Kate and Sophie." Nate said pouring his coffee.

"Of course… yes… I'm onto it." Hardison said kicking himself at not thinking of that.

"What did you do with Hilton?"

"Bonnano took care of it." Eliot told the Mastermind. "We got a lead on a woman with connections to her…a Susan Sellwood…seems she may be involved."

"Ok, I'll see what I can find out about her…" Nate said finishing off the tea and taking both cups as he made his way to the door of the kitchen.

"Be careful Nate…be very careful." Eliot warned him. "This could get very tricky."

"My wife and child are missing and in the hands of God only knows who…the woman involved is out there thinking she can take Sophie's place in my life after killing her ex-husband without blinking an eye…" Nate said softly. "Yes Eliot I would say it is going to get very tricky."

Eliot and the others watched him go and then Parker turned to Eliot.

"I've never seen him like this. He's…it's like he is not even here." Parker said. "Do you think he…I mean would he really…?"

"What…be with her to get the information he needed?" Hardison asked.

"Yes…I think he would…I think he would make deal with the devil himself to get Sophie and Kate back." Eliot said turning back to his duties of cooking. "Now Hardison get to work…let's try and make sure he doesn't have to do that shall we."

"Hey there you still ok…" Nate said walking back into the room and handing Penelope her tea.

"Fine…" She said but Nate picked up a tone in her voice, as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't. He stared at her taking in every detail and then noticed the mobile phone that lay on her lap.

"You were calling somebody…?" Nate asked sitting down beside her and resting his free hand on her knee.

"No…" Penelope said then seeing a fleeting look on Nate's face she blushed slightly having been caught in a lie. "I mean yes…there is a woman and her child that I am trying to help and things are getting a bit difficult." Penelope said.

"Oh…can I help. I have contacts I have skills you know and…and losing Sophie and Kate…" Nate drew in a deep breath trying to control the emotions that welled in him at the mention of their names. "I want to help as many woman I can…" Nate said leaning into Penny putting his face so close to hers that their faces nearly touched. "I would love to help you Penny…It would mean…It would help me to…" Nate stuttered as if he could not get the words he needed to out.

"Oh Nate…I understand my dearest man…I do but…but you can't help with this case…" Penelope said raising her hand to cup Nate's cheek gently. "But I promise you can help me with others…" She said then leaned in and replaced her hand with her lips as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "We can be partners…" She said and Nate could hear the underlying meaning in the word 'Partner' and it took everything he had to force a smile and kiss her forehead in return.

"I knew you would understand…" Nate whispered in her ear as he pulled her into a hug. "But I need to do something now Penny…I need to get my mind off…off of Sophie and Kate and what happened. You were right, I need to accept what happened and move on with my life. It is what Sophie would want…" He said pulling away from her and staring into her eyes. "I want to be…partners…" He said his voice soft and husky.

"Oh Nate…" Penelope said pulling him into a hug. "We will be. We will be happy and put all of this unpleasantness behind us…I promise Nate…I'll help you to be happy again." She whispered to him.

"Well I can help…like I said I have contacts…I know a woman who is great at getting women away from their husbands and safe until we can get them new lives…Susan…" Nate hesitated and made as if he was trying to recall a name from the recesses of his mind. "Susan Sellwood…yes…we had some dealings with her before and she is really good." Nate said not taking his eyes of the woman and noticing the fleeting look of panic that crossed her face.

Penelope was shocked at Nate mentioning Susan Sellwood but quickly schooled her features. She looked at Nate and smiled at him.

"No really Nate…I think it is sorted out now…but…"

"In the future…" Nate smiled at her. He had confirmed the lead, Susan Sellwood was definitely involved.

"Hey hey hey…" Hardison blurted out in the kitchen gaining Eliot and Parkers attention.

"What…?" Parker said moving over to his side.

"Penelope Cowan just made a very big deposit into a bank in France…"

"Under who's name…?" Eliot asked forgetting about his food.

"I don't know…it's a new account opened in the name of…Portia Fuller…"

"Portia…that's the name of one of the identities my friend said he was commissioned to make." Parker said now fully attentive to Hardison.

"Sophie…?"

"Yeah could be..." Eliot said softly. "So she is setting Sophie up in France…but why, I mean why would Sophie not contact us? Why would she not contact Nate?"

"Maybe Sophie thinks she can't…I mean if you can fake one death…" Parker said meaningfully.

"We have to tell Nate." Hardison said but was stopped from moving by Eliot's hand on his arm.

"We still don't know where Sophie is. We don't know what is going on and we can't take the chance that she could panic and then…"

"Eliot's right Hardison…" Parker said.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know…" Eliot said. "We finish making dinner and then get Nate on his own so that we can talk. Maybe he can add some more pieces to the puzzle."

"Ok…"

"Ok…you and Parker go set the table." Eliot told the Hacker.

Hardison nodded at the Hitter and then took Parker's hand and led her out into the living area, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw Nate and Penelope wrapped in each others arms. Regaining his composure Hardison cleared his throat loudly as they walked into the room and started to set the table.

"Dinner is almost ready." Parker informed them her voice ice cold and her eyes hard as she stared at the woman who quickly moved away from Nate.

"Good…" Penelope smiled at her choosing to ignore the look. "I am so hungry and Nate…" She said patting his knee softly. "Has told me there is no better cook than Eliot."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as Nate walked over to the bar and poured both himself and Penelope a whiskey while the Parker and Hardison finished setting the table just as Eliot informed them dinner was ready. They all took their seats around the table with Penelope seating herself beside Nate, in Sophie's place at the table. The silence became almost deafening as they ate. Nate could sense Parker's anger, he just hoped the young woman would hold it in. He was doing what he had to to get the information he needed out of Penelope and he was not about to stop because it offended the senses of his three remaining family members. After dinner Nate and Penelope retired back to the sofa for another drink while the other three cleared and washed up.

"I am tired Nate…I think I'm going to get an early night." Penelope said as she finished her glass of wine.

"Ok Penny…" Nate said standing up with her and walking with her to her bedroom door feeling the eyes of the other three on him.

"Goodnight Nate…" Penelope said leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. Nate nearly baulked but kept his cool and allowed her to kiss him.

"Goodnight Penny." He whispered.

"Remember Nate…it will get better…everything is going to be alright…I promise." She said holding his hand and squeezing gently.

"Thank you Penny…" Nate said softly. She smiled at him and then retreated into the room closing the door behind her.

Nate stood for a few seconds staring at the closed door and his face clouded over with all the feelings he had been suppressing during his time spent with her. Then he turned and walked to the bar pouring himself a large glass of whiskey which he swallowed. Then he poured another and headed back to the sofa and the waiting three members of Leverage Inc.

"She made a large payment to a bank in France under the name of Portia Fuller." Hardison told the Mastermind in hushed tones.

"Yeah…she had just finished with a call when I got back from the kitchen. She said she was aiding a woman and a child to get away from their abusive husband and father. One more thing…this Susan Sellwood…I would say she is definitely involved." Nate said taking a sip of his whiskey.

"I just don't understand what she could have said to Sophie to stop her from trying to contact us. I mean if she is shipping her off to France with a new identity…why…"

"She doesn't want to hurt Sophie…she just wants what she's got."

"You…"Eliot said his voice low.

"Yeah me..." Nate affirmed. "Anything from Bonnano or Sterling…?"

"No but we are meeting them tomorrow morning. I thought it would be better if we didn't meet here."

"Good thinking Eliot." Nate said swallowing down the last of his whiskey. "Like I said I don't think she wants to hurt Sophie, but she will if she thinks it is the only way. Tread carefully all of you." He said standing up and grabbing the half full bottle of whiskey as he walked towards his room. He stopped briefly turning around to face them. "Thanks…and…" Nate bent his head slightly as if he was embarrassed. "Sorry…" He said softly before disappearing into the room and closing the door.

**Thank you all so much for the reviews I truly appreciate them. So things are moving forward. They have an alias that could be Sophie…but what is Susan doing and will the team find Sophie and Kate in time to stop whatever she has planned for them? Again thanks for all the great reviews.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Susan Sellwood sat in the front seat of the car carrying her, Sophie and Kate and one of the men who had been involved in the abduction. They drove in silence. Sophie was not sure what was happening but she was sure of one thing, something had changed. She sat with Kate on her lap stroking the little girls hair gently. Suddenly the car slowed down and pulled off at the side of the road.

"Why are we stopping?" Sophie asked trying to keep her voice calm and even.

"Get out the car Mrs Ford." Susan said turning to face the back and holding a gun on the Grifter. The door opened next to Sophie and Susan motioned with the gun that she get out of the car.

Sophie alighted from the car still carrying her daughter, then she put Kate down and pushed the little girl behind her shielding her with her body.

"What…what is going on…what are you doing?" Sophie asked anxiously trying to see a way out of the situation.

"Well you see Mrs Ford…I'm tired of my life." Susan said smiling at the Grifter her eyes cold and hard and the smile not reaching them. "So I think I'll just take the new one my employer has arranged for you."

"Please…" Sophie said her voice holding all the fear she had for the safety of her daughter. "Please don't do this…we will go…you can take whatever you want, we will just disappear…"

"Well that won't work. You will go back home and then that crew you have will come after me…no I can't have that." Susan told her.

"No…no I promise…"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be Mrs Ford." Susan told her. "Just step away and let Kate come over here."

"What…" Sophie said, why, what were they going to do with her daughter.

"Kate…Katie darling come here to Aunty Susan…" Susan said holding her hand out to the little girl who peeked round her mothers' leg staring at the woman and shaking her head.

Susan sighed and motioned to the man to collect the child. Sophie moved forward to stop him but he slapped her sending her reeling and sprawling on the ground. Then he grabbed the girl up in his arms. Kate screamed out and cried for her mother but the man was too strong for the her to fight.

"Please…please don't hurt her…" Sophie said standing up and staggering forward.

"Oh…I have no intention of hurting her…" Susan told the distraught woman. "No she is too valuable for that…" She smiled evilly at Sophie.

"No…No please…" Sophie said storming Susan. Just before she reached the woman a gunshot sounded and Sophie was sent reeling backwards. Another shot rang out and Sophie spun around and then disappeared over the edge of the slope they were standing on.

"Mommy….Mommy…." Kate screamed out watching her mother fall over the edge she kicked and screamed hitting her little hands against the man holding her.

Susan walked to the edge and looked over. She could not see Sophie's body but presumed it had rolled down the slope and into the thick bushes below. She was sure the woman was dead, and even if she wasn't, she had two bullets in her and was going nowhere. She turned back to the little girl that was still fighting and screaming for her mother. Susan grabbed the child's arm squeezing it hard.

"Now Kate let's just be quiet ok because otherwise I might have to hurt you…" She said her voice hard and her eyes boring into Kate.

"You hurt my Mommy…" Kate shouted at the woman tears pouring from her eyes as much from her fear and the pain from Susan's hand wrapped around her arm.

"But I haven't hurt you…yet…" Susan said softly. "Now be a good girl and shut up."

"No…no you hurt my Mommy…you…" Kate's voice was cut off as the man wrapped his hand around her mouth. Kate tried to fight still but then she passed out from lack of oxygen.

"Don't kill her…" Susan warned the man who immediately pulled his hand away from Kate's face. "She's going to bring in a tidy sum to add to our new wealth…our new lives…" Susan said leaning forward and kissing the man passionately squeezing the little Kate's body between them. "Now put her in the car and let's go." Susan said stepping back and opening the back door of the car.

The man put the little girl on the back seat and then quickly moved to climb into the drivers' side. Susan climbed in and they set off down the road as if nothing had happened.

Sophie came to her senses a short while later her arm and shoulder were on fire. She felt the dried blood pull on the skin of her face and lifted her hand up, wincing as she felt the deep groove on her temple. She was momentarily disorientated but then the memory rushed back at her.

"Kate…Oh God Katie…" She said pushing herself up and ignoring the pain coming from the two bullet wounds she had suffered. Her clothes were covered with blood and dust. She looked up at the steep slope she had rolled down and set her jaw as she started to climb her way out of the hole she was in.

Sophie fought her way up the hill determined to get to the top and get help…she needed help…they had her daughter. She clawed her way up until she collapsed on the side of the road taking deep painful breaths as she fought for oxygen. She had no idea where she was. She knew they had not travelled long from the house and she knew the direction the house was in. It was getting dark now and she knew she had to go. She decided her best bet was to head back to the house and then take it from there. She had to get in touch with Eliot and the others. They would help her, they would get Kate back. Her mind was a blur as she staggered along the road. She was fighting the nausea and the pain. She closed her mind off and concentrated on one thing and one thing only, getting to the house and getting a message to Eliot. Sophie stumbled and fell sprawling out on the dirt road. Tears flooded her eyes as she thought for a minute she was not going to make it, she was not going to be able to save her daughter. Then she looked up and saw a large tree that she recognised. It had stood right at the bottom of their garden. She was here, only a few more steps and she would be at the house. She pushed herself to her feet and staggered onward until her bare feet felt the soft touch of the green grass of the garden. She saw the house and picked up her speed. She did not even think about finding anybody there, she didn't care, if she was caught and killed then so be it, she was desperate to get into the house and find something, anything she could to get to Eliot. She tried to remember if there were cars other than the one they had travelled in. She had not seen a phone but there could be one. Maybe they had left a mobile phone behind. All these thoughts ran through her mind as she pushed herself onwards. She collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. The loss of blood and the pain now starting to overwhelm her and drive her into the darkness that threatened to claim her. She shook her head and pulled herself painfully up the stairs and into the house. The study she thought…the study…she kept repeating to herself as she pulled herself up again and staggered through the doors of the study. The room was deserted. Sophie looked around the room desperately but saw no telephone. Falling to her knees Sophie let the tears flow…she had lost…there was nothing here…she fell forward lying flat on her stomach on the floor. Then her eye caught a glimpse of something and she suddenly had some hope. She crawled forward toward the object. It was a mobile phone dropped on the floor unheeded, probably undetected by the people rushing to pack and get out of the house. She grabbed the phone and dialled a number falling on her back as she held the phone to her ear.

"Yeah…" Eliot's gruff voice floated over the phone.

"Eliot…help…" Sophie whispered and then darkness claimed her, the phone clattering to the ground.

**So now Susan has Kate and Sophie has been shot. What will Nate and the others do? What will Penelope do when all of this comes to light? Will they find Sophie before she succumbs to her wounds? Will they be able to find Susan and her partner before anything happens to Kate…? All your reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Yeah…" Eliot answered his phone still keeping his eyes locked on the door Nate had disappeared behind. The Mastermind was playing a dangerous game, one that was taking a lot out of him and Eliot was worried he would snap, either that or just completely go over the edge.

"Eliot…help…" A weak almost inaudible voice come over the phone.

"Sophie…Sophie…" Eliot said immediately recognising Sophie's voice. "Sophie…" He called again but there was nothing. The phone was still on but there was no response.

"Hardison…track the call now." Eliot told the Hacker who was already in motion. "Parker get the van and I'll get Nate."

Eliot moved swiftly to Nate's room entering without knocking.

"Eliot…?" Nate said surprised to see the Hitter.

"Sophie just called…"

"What where is she…what…Eliot…" Nate said not sure if he had heard right.

"She's off the phone but Hardison has a fix. Parker's getting the van now." Eliot told the Mastermind. He did not know if Hardison did but he would bet everything he had that he would have by the time they were in the van and moving.

They were both out of the door and almost running out the house as Parker pulled up. Hardison was giving her instructions as they climbed in.

"I have a fix…it's not far from here maybe an hours' drive…" Hardison told them after giving Parker instructions.

"What did she say…?" Nate asked his eyes pleading as he looked at the Hitter. "Eliot…"

"Nothing Nate…she…she sounded…"

"Oh God…" Nate said burying his head in his hands. He understood the man, something was wrong with Sophie and Eliot was scared, Nate could see it.

Parker sped along at breakneck speed with Hardison directing her. None of them spoke. All of them were afraid of what they were going to find when they got to Sophie's location.

"Penelope…" Hardison said suddenly remembering the woman left alone at the house.

"Oh don't worry about her. I locked her in the room and called Sterling and Maggie and told them to get over to the house and babysit until we got back. I told them what was happening." Parker told the Mastermind.

Despite himself Nate had to smile. Even though he knew Parker was just as worried as the rest of them she had made sure that they were covered on the Penelope front. Something Nate had not even thought about until now. All he wanted to do was get to Sophie and although Eliot had said nothing of Kate, he was sure Kate would be with Sophie.

"How much further…" He asked anxiously after nearly an hour of driving.

"Not much…" Hardison told him. "Parker turn in the next road…" He instructed the little Thief who nodded in response.

The road they turned down was the entrance to a large mansion just outside of town. The gate was closed but that did not stop Parker who simply gunned the motor and drove through. Eliot was hyper aware of any danger coming their way, ready for anything. Nothing happened though, the drive was deserted and when they pulled up to the house that looked deserted too. The house was dark and silent. Night had settled and their only light was from the moon and the headlights of the van which sprayed the front porch with bright light.

"Are we too late…?" Hardison whispered looking at the deserted place.

Nate did not answer, he opened the door and was out of the van before any of them. He ran into the house calling out for Sophie and Kate. Eliot was on his heels ready for any attack that might come from hidden enemies. Nate turned the light on as he entered the house. It was silent and foreboding. Nate's heart sank when he saw the blood that was on the floor and the door of the house, were they too late. Sophie and Kate weren't here anymore, they had been taken away because Sophie had managed to contact Eliot…or worse.

"Check the place…and be careful…" Eliot said to the other two who had joined them in the entrance. Then he made his way up the stairs while Hardison split off to the left and Parker to the right. Nate moved in the direction of the back of the hall where the study was.

Nate stepped into the study turning the light on at the same time and then froze.

"Sophie…" He cried out seeing her slumped on the floor.

He was at her side in an instant. Her clothes were dirty and caked with dry blood, her forehead black and blue and was also covered with dry blood from where the bullet had grazed her. She was barefoot and he could see she had walked a long way like that. He reached for a pulse holding his breath as he did. He let out the breath as he felt a strong pulse then checked her breathing to find it was shallow but even. Taking off his jacket he put it under her head and called out for Eliot.

Eliot appeared a few seconds later followed by Parker and Hardison.

"Let me look at her Nate…" Eliot said moving to Sophie's side and examining the wounds. Nate pulled back but did not let go of Sophie's hand which he had taking and was holding on to for dear life.

"Eliot…" Nate whispered looking at the man as he worked on Sophie.

"It's a through and through…" He said checking the wound in Sophie's shoulder. "The head wound is just a graze." He continued then looked up at Nate. "She'll be fine, we just need to clean and stitch this up." He said standing up and lifting the woman up with him. He carried her up the stairs to the bedroom telling Parker to get the medical kit out of the van.

"Kate is not here…" Hardison told them which caused Nate to freeze as he stood watching Eliot carry Sophie up the stairs. In the moments of finding Sophie and then checking to see if she was alright he had momentarily forgotten about Kate. Where was their daughter? He had assumed she would be with Sophie.

"She must be here…"

"She's not Nate…" Hardison said hating to have to tell his friend that his child was still missing. "We'll find her…"

"She's not here…" Nate repeated. "The person who did this to Sophie must have her." He said softly as if to himself and he could feel his legs get weak with the thought. The people who had shot his wife and obviously left her for dead had his daughter.

"Nate go be with Sophie, we'll trace her steps and see what went down…" Parker said approaching the Mastermind.

"I have to…Kate…" Nate said his mind in total confusion.

"Nate go be with Sophie, she is going to need you when she wakes up and then she can tell us what happened." Parker said her voice firmer now. It was obvious the man was overwhelmed by everything and although it caused her concern to see him this way, he was normally composed even under the greatest of stress, she knew this was different. She put her hand on his back and pushed him towards the staircase Eliot had carried the woman up.

"Parker…"

"Go Nate…Hardison and I will search the area, we'll do what needs to be done…go be with Sophie." Parker told him.

Nate hesitated only for a second and then ran up the stairs and into the room he had seen Eliot carry his wife into. He stopped at the door for a few seconds as he composed himself slightly before entering. Eliot had just finished up and had covered Sophie with a sheet. She looked so pale, so still that Nate's heart hurt at the sight of her.

"Eliot…?"

"She'll be fine. She's going to be sore when she wakes up but no permanent damage done. I would prefer to not move her right now though, not until she wakes up so we are here until then." Eliot told the Mastermind as he went to wash up.

"Kate is not here…" Nate told the Hitter his eyes filled with worry. "What happened…?"

"I don't know Nate, but when she wakes up she can tell us. I'm going to see what Hardison and Parker found, you stay with her." Eliot instructed him. He could see that Nate was lost, not knowing what to do. They had Sophie yes, but Kate was gone,

"Sophie…" Nate said sitting down beside her on the bed and running his hand gently over her forehead and down her cheek. "Wake up Soph…I need you to wake up darling." He said softly placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. Then he sat back holding her hand in his and running small circles around it with his thumb. Nate sat with her knowing that Eliot and the others would find anything that was to be found.

The three others returned to the room two hours later. Coming into the room Eliot immediately checked on Sophie and then stood back.

"Well…" Nate asked.

"We tracked her movements back to where this happened. There is still no sign of Kate. I would say they got rid of Sophie and then took off with Kate." Eliot said looking down at the woman in the bed. "She is one strong woman to have made it back here."

"I need to get back. I have to talk to Penelope, she must know what happened, she must know where Kate is." Nate said not wanting to leave Sophie's side but she would be alright, the same could not be said of his daughter.

Eliot nodded to the man. Why would they take Kate? The reasons he could come up with made his skin crawl and he could see in Nate's eyes he was thinking the same thing. They had to get to the little girl before it was too late and their only connection right now was Penelope Cowan.

"Ok…" Eliot said taking a deep breath. "Parker, Hardison you two stay put. Nate and I are going to take the van and go back to the house. We will send someone out to get you. Be careful we don't know if you might get visitors or not." Eliot told them. He was not going to allow Nate to go on his own. If Penelope did tell him anything he was bound to rush off like a fool on his own and that could lead to worse things.

Parker understood Eliot's reasoning and nodded her head in agreement. Nate leaned over and kissed Sophie gently whispering his love for her and that he would see her soon. He promised the unconscious woman that he would get their daughter back no matter what he had to do. Then he stood up and walked out of the room with Eliot following closely behind.

**Will Nate be able to make Penelope talk, and even if he did, would she know what Susan had done or where she had gone? What will Sophie do when she wakes up? Will they find Susan before she does something awful with Kate? Thank you all so much for the reviews. I appreciate them so very much.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Nate and Eliot were met at the door by Maggie and Sterling both of whom looked anxiously at them. They had not heard anything since Parker had told them they were going to find Sophie who had called and that they were needed to keep Penelope locked in her room.

"Nate…" Maggie said as the Mastermind walked in. He hardly acknowledged either one of them as he pushed past them and made towards Penelope Cowan's room.

"Sophie's alright, she was shot but she's ok. I need you to take the van and go get her and Parker and Hardison, they are out of town…the address is in the GPS." Eliot told Sterling as he passed him handing him the keys to the van and then following Nate. He did not want the Mastermind going into Penelope's room on his own.

Sterling did not ask questions, he merely took the keys and kissing his wife goodbye left to go and collect the three people. He wanted to know what was going on, but he could see that neither Eliot nor Nate were about to tell him. Sophie was hurt and stranded wherever she was with Parker and Hardison, he could help with that so that is what he would do.

"Nate…" Eliot said putting his hand on the Masterminds as Nate reached for the key in the door.

"Back off Eliot..." Nate growled at him. He was going to get what he needed from the woman and Eliot was not going to stop him. Eliot stared at the man then held his hands up in surrender.

Nate unlocked the door and opened it. The room was dark and he could see the still figure of Penelope Cowan on the bed. She was still sleeping, blissfully unaware of what had just happened. Nate reached out and turned the light on before making his way to the side of the bed.

"Penelope…wake up." He said loudly, his voice harsh and cold.

"Nate…Nate what…what's wrong…?" Penelope said coming awake suddenly and seeing the cold hard look in Nate's eyes as he towered over her.

"Play time is over. Where is my daughter?" Nate said pulling the woman into a sitting position his hands squeezing her shoulders hard.

"You…you're hurting me Nate…" Penelope said in a frightened voice. "Please I don't…I don't know what you are talking about."

"Listen to me carefully. I know you were the one not Hilton that organised Sophie's "accident". I know that you spirited them away and placed them into the hands of Susan Sellwood. I want to know where she has taken my daughter and I want to know now." His voice filled with repressed rage.

"Nate…please…" Penelope said her mind working on how to get out of this. How did he find out, what happened after she had gone to bed. She could see the burning hatred in his eyes, the loathing and the disdain and she could see the raw anger there too, it scared her.

"Penelope, I don't care if I have to beat it out of you do you understand. What you went through with Hilton will seem like a party. Now either you start talking or I am going to tell Eliot to leave the room and you and I will have a conversation." Nate told the woman and she could see he meant every word he said. This was not the kind, gentle Nate she knew, this was a monster and he had her in his sights.

"I…I wasn't going to hurt them…I was trying to help…I found out that Hilton was…" She said backing away from Nate her eyes filled with fear. She needed to get out of this and she saw a way…Hilton.

"Don't lie to me Penelope…I'm warning you…"

Penelope looked at Nate and read in his eyes that the game was up, he had found out, how didn't matter. "I just…I thought you would be happier with me. They…they are fine…they…"

That statement alone almost made Nate loose his cool and he would have if he had not felt the soft touch of Eliot's hand on his arm making him calm down. He needed this woman to tell him everything and he needed her to do it now.

"They are NOT fine now tell me everything. I want to know everything about Susan Sellwood and why she would shoot my wife and leave her for dead and take my daughter…was that you're doing? Was taking them out of the picture not enough for you, did you decide murder was more your style?" Nate spat at her.

"NO…no…please Nate you must believe me…I would never…" Penelope said stunned by his words. "I told Susan to take them to France, to give them a good new life, to make them comfortable I even set up a bank account…"

"In the name of Portia Fuller…" Nate finished for her. "I know all of that."

"Nate you have to believe me I don't know anything about this…Sophie…I would never…she's only a little girl." Penelope gasped realising that she was now in way over anything she had planned. Susan had taken it on herself to do what she did and now a little girls live hung in the balance. But she needed Nate to understand why she had done what she did, that she would never hurt either Sophie or Kate.

"Kate is so little she...she would have gotten over you and, Sophie is a beautiful woman, she would have found another man who would have loved her and Kate…I told them you were dead…I told them that they had to go live in another country to keep them safe, I told them that was what you wanted, what you needed…I would never, never hurt them…you have to believe me." Penelope said the horror of what Nate was telling her sinking in and tears rolling down her cheeks. What had she done? She never meant to hurt anybody. Sophie and Kate were supposed be starting a new life, a good life. She needed Nate more than them.

"All I wanted was to be with you…I love you Nate…I…" She stopped seeing that her words had done little to quell the anger in his eyes, in fact she may have inflamed it. She was lost.

"So that is why Sophie never tried to get in contact…she thought you were dead and they were in danger…" Eliot said under his breath, she had thought Nate dead just as he had her and Kate. This woman had a twisted view of what loving somebody was and he could see that Nate was struggling to control himself as she spoke.

"Penelope, I want to know everything about Susan Sellwood. Everything you understand?" Nate said softening his voice a little. Now that the woman was cooperating he wanted her to keep doing so and although his anger was far from subsiding he had to calm down, he had to keep her talking. "I know you did not mean for this to happen but it has…now you have to help me fix it…"

"I will Nate…We'll fix it…" Penelope said gaining a little more confidence as Nate's tone eased.

"Now start talking Penelope…everything you know about Susan Sellwood and everything you did to set this up." Nate said pulling up a chair for her and indicating she should sit. Then he pulled up on in front of her and sat back waiting for the woman to talk.

"I will I will tell you everything…" Penelope said wiping away the tears from her eyes.

The next half hour Nate spent listening to Penelope tell him how she had met Susan, what Susan was capable of and every other thing she knew about the woman and her habits. She had only used her on the most difficult cases that she had had. Penelope started to relax as she spoke, she would help Nate and he would forgive her. He would understand. When she was done, Nate looked at her with unbridled disgust and loathing. He opened the door and walked out leaving Eliot with her.

"He understands right? I mean you understand? We can fix all of this and…He will forgive me right?" Penelope asked the Hitter.

Eliot looked at her without any emotion on his face. This woman had placed his family in danger, she had almost gotten Sophie killed and Kate was still missing and what was happening to the little girl could be in a lot more trouble than just the danger of being killed. He felt nothing but contempt for the woman and he knew the Eliot of old would have broken her neck without hesitation. Instead he turned toward the man who had entered the room shortly after Nate's departure.

"She's all yours." He said as he in turn walked out of the room.

"Who are you…?" Penelope asked fear returning to her voice as she looked at the man who stood before her.

"Captain Patrick Bonnano and you are under arrest for felony Kidnapping and I am sure there will be a few other charges." Bonnano said coming into the room and grabbing the woman turning her around and pulling her hands behind her back and cuffed her none to gently.

**Thank you all so very much for your reviews, they are so greatly appreciated. So now they have Sophie back, they have intel on Susan and Penelope is going to jail. What do you think Susan's plan is with Kate? Will they be able to get to her before she does anything to the little girl? What is Sophie's reaction going to be when she wakes up? **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

As Nate walked out the room he replaced the earbud he had removed before interrogating Penelope. He had thought it was best if he did, he may have had to do something he knew he would not be proud of, thank the lord that had not happened he thought to himself.

"Parker…"

"Yes Nate we're here.'

"What's happening, how is Sophie?"

"She is fine. She hasn't woken up yet." Parker replied. She could hear by Nate's tone that he was not interested in long explanations. "Sterling arrived a few minutes ago but Eliot is worried that she hasn't woken yet."

"Bring her home…" Nate said looking at Eliot for confirmation. He nodded. It would not help keeping her there and although he did not really want her moved until she had regained consciousness, he was sure they would take care transporting her.

"Just keep her as still as possible."

"We'll be careful Eliot." Hardison told the Hitter.

"Hardison I need you to keep an eye on that bank account. I want to know if anybody tries to access it."

"Already on it Nate." Hardison said a little aggrieved that the Mastermind would think he had not started trying to find Kate. He could hear a calm deadliness in Nate's voice, it was a tone he had never heard from Nate before.

"Good. Eliot I need you to get information on…on the trade." Nate said. "You will have to contact your old…colleagues, you know some…?" Nate said looking at the Hitter almost apologetically. He never thought the Eliot would be involved in the trade of human beings, but in the line of work and the people he had worked for and with, he knew people.

Eliot nodded, he did not like what Nate was asking him to do but he knew it was necessary. He doubted that Susan was meaning to keep Kate for herself. Either she was going to sell her to the perverts out there or to those who are desperate for their own children but could not have any. He hoped it would be the former but there were no guarantees.

"So what now…?" Bonnano asked as he returned inside after having Penelope taken in for booking and processing.

"Now we wait and watch. Hardison is tracking the bank account. Eliot and you are going to check everybody who knows anything about the trade in…" Nate swallowed hard. The trade in children he wanted to say but it hurt to even think what his little girl could be going through. "Until Sophie wakes up and can give us anything else, there is nothing we can do." Nate said his voice was flat and cold, emotionless.

"What are you going to do?" Maggie asked. She could read Nate and she read trouble.

"I have to go see a man." Nate said softly. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Who are you going to see?" Eliot asked suspicion in his voice. Nate was leaving, before Sophie got here, without telling them where he was going, he did not like the feeling he was getting.

"An old…acquaintance…" Nate said vaguely.

"Who…?" Eliot asked again.

"An old friend..." Nate said. He knew Eliot was not happy and he could see Maggie was even less so. "He can maybe help."

"Nate…"

"Look Eliot, I am going out. I am trusting you to take care of Sophie until I get back. I am trusting you to get as much information together as you can, from all your sources, all Parker's and Hardison's too whilst I'm gone." Nate said harshly.

"Nate…"

"Enough questions." Nate said loudly and grabbing his keys. "I'll be back in an hour…make sure Sophie is taken care of." Then he turned and left leaving three very perplexed people staring after him.

"Hardison…"

"Yeah Eliot I am tracking his earbud." Hardison told the Hitter. "Look we're almost there."

"Ok…how is she?"

"Still out, but otherwise fine, we'll be there in about twenty."

"I'm going to go back to the precinct and see what I can dig up." Bonnano told the Hitter after listening to his end of the conversation. He was not doing anybody any good standing around here anyway. "Penelope has engaged a lawyer, I don't think I will be able to hold her longer than her arraignment which is going to happen tomorrow."

"Damn…" Eliot said. The last thing they needed was Penelope Cowan running around and he did not know what Nate's reaction would be to her being let lose.

"Don't worry about her now." Nate's voice came over the coms. "Follow the lead."

"Anyway, I'll see you all later." Bonnano said as he left.

Twenty minutes Parker, Sterling and Hardison arrived with Sophie. Eliot met them outside and carried Sophie carefully into Nate and hers' bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Quickly he checked her over.

"Shouldn't she have woken up by now?" Parker asked standing on the other side of the bed.

"It's Ok Parker. She took a heavy blow and add to that everything else…" Eliot reassured the little Thief. "She'll be fine."

"Where's Nate gone?" She asked still keeping her eyes on the still form of Sophie.

"I don't know Parker."

"You shouldn't have let him go alone." Parker said softly.

"Yeah…well Nate didn't give me an option. Anyway Hardison has a fix on him…right Hardison?" Eliot asked the Hacker.

"Yeah…" Hardison said pulling up the screen on his iPad. "He's still moving…going out of town."

"So what do we do now."

"We wait." Eliot said and she could tell that he was not happy at all about that.

"Eliot…?" Sophie's voice cut the air drawing all of their attention to her.

"Yes Sophie it's me…" Eliot said leaning in over the woman who he could see was struggling to open her eyes. "Sophie…"

"Kate…Katie…" Sophie suddenly cried out her eyes flying open and she tried to sit up but immediately fell back onto the bed.

"Shhh…Sophie…it's ok, you are safe…"

"No…no they have Kate…Eliot they have Kate…"

"We know…Susan Sellwood."

"Yes and…and…" Sophie shook her head as she tried to focus her thoughts. "A man…I don't know his name…they took Kate…"

"Ok…ok Sophie we'll find her I promise we'll get her back…"

"Eliot…Nate…she said Nate was…"

"He's not. He's fine Sophie and he's out there now looking for Kate…"

"Out there…out where…Eliot…"

"Sophie please you have to calm down." Eliot said pushing the woman back down onto the bed. "Nate will be here soon. Now I need you to tell me what happened. Everything you can remember about the man, marks, tattoo's accent's…anything." Eliot said taking Sophie by the shoulders and holding her. Susan was with somebody else, maybe they could find out who that was and track her that way.

"Yes…ok…yes..." Sophie said.

"Ok good." Eliot said helping her prop herself up on the bed. "Parker get Sophie some water." He instructed then turned back to the older woman. "Everything Sophie, everything you can remember from when this happened."

**So this was a bit of a bridging chapter. So where has Nate gone and who is he going to see? Will Sophie be able to give Eliot anything he could work with? Will Penelope cause any more trouble when she is released? To all of you who are looking for some action, I promise there is still plenty to come…Thanks for the reviews and please let me know what you thought of this one too. **


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Nate pulled up to the gate, he waited as a man approached the car and then had a few words with him. The man then walked away from him and called Nate's presence out on the radio to somebody. Nate sat waiting patiently. The man then returned and told Nate he could go in. Another man opened the gate for him and he drove through. Nate drove up the long drive to the front of the house where he stopped and got out. He was met by another very large man who searched him thoroughly and then led him into the house. He was taken through the main reception area and into a small room to the one side. The large doors were pulled shut behind him as he entered.

"Mr Ford…you have a lot of…chutzpah to come here." The tall man sitting behind the desk said as Nate entered the room. He was well built with short cropped black hair. He held an expensive cigar in his hand and a gun was set on the desk pointing directly at the chair Nate was taken too and placed in.

"I have a few questions."

"Questions…" The man said offering Nate a cigar which he waved away.

"Yes questions…" Nate said sitting back in the chair and crossing his legs nonchalantly.

"Very well Mr Ford ask your questions." The man said smiling at the Mastermind. The smile however never reached his eyes and his tone was cold and hard.

"Susan Sellwood, you know her." Nate asked bluntly, it was not a question but a statement.

"Yes as a matter of fact I do." The man said. "We have had some dealings…business of course." The man replied.

"Your business with her would that be recent?"

"What is this about Mr Ford?"

"I want to know if Sellwood came to you with some…merchandise…" Nate said his stomach turning as he used the word in relation to his daughter.

"I buy and sell lots of things Mr Ford from many different people." The man said standing and walking over to his wet bar and pouring two glasses of whiskey. Then he carried one over to Nate and handed him a glass before sitting down again behind his desk.

"I am interested in only one item." Nate said taking a sip of his whiskey.

"I can assure you Mr Ford the item you are interested in did not pass through my hands." The man told him. He of course had become aware of the fact that Kate Ford had been taken and that both the local PD and Interpol were investigating a possible sale of the child. He was just surprised that Ford had the balls to come to him.

"But you are aware that Sellwood is looking to sell the item?"

"Mr Ford if you are implying…"

"I'm not implying anything. I am simply saying that if a deal were to be made, you would be aware of such a deal. You being a man of some…influence."

Silence followed as the man surveyed Nate carefully.

"I see and you would like to avail yourself of my…expertise." The man asked.

"Just so." Nate affirmed.

"Ah well. No Mr Ford, I have no knowledge of this…sale." He said. "However I am not the only person who would know of such a deal being sought."

"No, but you would know if she had looked elsewhere as well."

"Mr Ford, you give me far too much credit."

"I think that I give you about as much credit as you deserve." Nate said softly. "Mr Thomas we are both very good at what we do. I know what is going on around me and I am sure you do too. So if there were a deal being made, especially in your line of business you would know about it. All I am asking is that you convey that information to me."

"Why would I do that Mr Ford?"

"Because I am asking…" Nate said then sat back and downed his drink. "Because if you don't I will come after you with everything I have. I will destroy you Thomas, you, your business, your family and your life…"

Mark Thomas looked at the man in front of him as if he had just got up and slapped him through the face. Then he sat back and took a pull on his cigar before laughing loudly. The men in the room who stood either side of Nate relaxed slightly as their boss reacted to Nate's threat.

"Very good Mr Ford…" Thomas said. "Very good indeed, everything I have heard about you is…well let's just say you were given about as much credit as you deserve."

"Susan Sellwood…" Nate said not acknowledging the man's comment.

"Very well Mr Ford. No, Ms Sellwood has not offered that particular merchandise to me or anybody else that I am aware of. But you know…" Thomas said before swallowing down the last of his whiskey. "That does not mean Ms Sellwood has not made an alternative deal. There is more than one market for that particular thing."

Nate looked at the man and then nodded. He stood up and immediately hands were placed on his shoulders to keep him in place. Nate looked from one to the other man on each side of him and then back at Thomas.

"You will let me know if the merchandise does get offered." Nate stated then reached into this jacket pocket. The movement was met with two guns being drawn and placed to his head. Nate smiled at Thomas hand removed his hand holding out a card. "My number…"

Thomas nodded to the men who removed their guns and their hands allowing Nate to step forward and place the card on the table then he stepped back.

"Goodbye Mr Ford…" Thomas said not answering his question. "I hope I do not see you again."

"The feeling is mutual Mr Thomas." Nate said turning on his heel and walking to the door, stopping in front of it until one of Thomas's men opened it and then followed Nate out and to his car.

Nate got into the car and let blew out a breath. He started the car and started down the driveway and towards his home. He reached into his pocket and put the earbud in his ear.

"Eliot…?"

"Nate…what the hell man where the hell were you?" Eliot asked and Nate could hear the tension in the Hitter's voice.

"Is Sophie awake?" Nate asked choosing to ignore the Hitters angst.

"Yeah…" Eliot sighed. "She was looking for you."

"I'll be there in about twenty minutes." Nate told him.

"Nate…" Sophie's anxious voice came over the coms.

"Soph…" Nate said feeling emotion well in him at hearing her voice.

"Nate…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…Kate…"

"Sophie don't...this is not your fault and we will get Kate back I promise."

"I need you Nate…" Sophie almost sobbed into the coms.

"I know and I'll be there soon." Nate told her. "Eliot…I need you to tell Hardison to focus on adoptions…"

"Why…"

"Just do it Eliot. If Susan Sellwood is going to get rid of Kate, it's going to be an adoption sale."

"Oh God Katie…" He heard Sophie's distraught voice through the coms.

"Soph…that's good, it's good and we will find her, I promise we'll find her." Nate told her. All he wanted to do was get home and take her in his arms and soothe her, to assure her he would get their little girl back.

"Eliot I'll be back there soon, where is Sterling?"

"Right here Nate…and you are a damned idiot." Sterling said. He knew where Nate had gone…he had known when he had seen the GPS signal on Hardison computer.

"Maybe…but at least we narrowed it down." Nate said smiling slightly to himself. Of course Sterling had figured out where he had gone and who he had gone to see.

"True and I already got onto the section at Interpol. They will keep their ears to the ground regarding any adoption sales that are going through anywhere." Sterling said. Now as not the time to confront Nate on his idiocy, and when Eliot found out where Nate had gone alone without backup well the fallout was probably going to be epic.

Nate walked into the house ten minutes later to be met by a shaky Sophie who threw herself into his arms as he came through the door.

"Nate…oh God Nate they told me you were dead…" Sophie said kissing him passionately.

"I thought I had lost you…" He whispered into her ear as he pulled her too him tightly. "But I didn't and we won't lose our baby…" He continued.

Sophie squeezed him to her and felt hot tears coursing down her cheeks. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity before Parker interrupted them by throwing her arms around both of them.

"Now we get Kate back…" She said as they pulled away from each other. Sophie nodded and smiled slightly wiping the tears from her face.

"Yes…now we get Kate back." Nate smiled at her. "Hardison…anything…?" He asked looking at the Hitter. As much as he wanted to hold on to Sophie forever, never letting her out of his arms or his sight again, he had to get his daughter back.

"A few came up but they were the wrong age…" Hardison said. He was not paying any attention to physical description because hair colour could be changed, along with styles, even eye colour.

"So how is Mr Thomas…?" Sterling said handing Nate a glass of whiskey and looking at him expectantly.

"Wait what…Mark Thomas…?" Eliot asked shocked by who Nate had gone to see.

"Eliot…"

"Are you mad Nate…do you have a bloody death wish…?" Eliot asked hotly.

"No…and I had to do it." Nate told the man then turned away from him. He was not going to deal with Eliot's anger right now, he did what he had to and that was all there was too it.

"Who's Mark Thomas?" Sophie asked looking from a very hot and bothered Eliot to a very calm and disinterested Nate.

"He's a child trafficker…a man who would as soon kill you as look at you." Eliot spat out. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he would know if Susan Sellwood was trying to sell my little girl." Nate told him.

"And if she was, and you had been killed, what the hell good would that have done anybody?"

"Well I wasn't and now we know where to look for Kate…at least at in what direction. Thomas will let me know if he discovers any different."

"How did you get that right?" Sterling asked knowing a little about the man Nate had dealt with.

"I have skills…" Nate said downing the remaining whiskey.

"One more thing Nate…" Hardison said then looked to Eliot.

"Penelope Cowan will be released from holding tomorrow." Eliot finished. "She lawyered up."

Nate's expression darkened slightly but that was his only reaction. "Hardison tell me when you get something. I think my wife and I need to talk alone for a while." He said taking Sophie's hand and leading her into their bedroom closing the door behind them.

"Oh Nate…" Sophie said as soon as the door was shut. She wrapped her arms around him as she felt her knees give in.

Nate held her tight and then lifted her carrying her to the bed. She was still suffering from her wounds and emotionally she was very unstable.

"Shhh…Soph…shhh…we'll get her back I swear…I swear…" Nate said placing small kisses on her forehead and cheeks. "God Soph I thought…I…"

"I know…" Sophie said running her hands down his face. "I know but we aren't and you aren't…" She said placing a kiss on his lips.

"What if…"

"No…no that's not going to happen Sophie." Nate said taking her by the shoulders and then pulling her too him wrapping his arms around her. "That's not going to happen I promise." He said raisin his eyes to the ceiling and fighting back the tears that welled in his eyes.

The two of them clung to each other drawing strength from each other in just knowing that they were together again. They sat like that on the bed with Sophie weeping silently as Nate soothed her when there was a knock on the door. Nate pulled away from Sophie and swiped at the tears that had fallen unbidden from his eyes. He stood up and opened the door.

"We got something…" Eliot told the Mastermind as the door opened.

Sophie flew from the bed to Nate's said and then followed them out and into the room where Hardison stood waiting to give them the news.

"I think we found her…" Hardison told them.

"Where…?" Nate asked.

"Atlantic City…" Hardison told him. "I have tickets…plane leaves in an hour."

Nate turned and picked up his keys without another word and taking Sophie's hand walked towards the door followed by Hardison, Parker and Eliot. Sterling and Maggie watched them go. Sterling had told Hardison he and Bonnano would keep working on this side in case it was not Kate. Eliot had agreed that that was a good plan and so they stayed as the Leverage family left to retrieve one of the most precious members of their family.

**So have they found Kate or are they going down the wrong path? What about Penelope does she still have a part to play in all of the drama? Thank you all so much for your reviews they are so very much appreciated.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Eliot drove them to the airport as Hardison explained what he had found that was taking them to Atlantic City.

"It's definitely her." Hardison finished showing them the picture of Susan Sellwood on the screen.

"Yes it is definitely her." Sophie confirmed.

"But where is the man she had with her and where is Kate?" Nate asked studying the picture, taking in everything around the woman, looking at all the faces of the people passing her and scanning the crowds for his little girl.

"I don't know Nate." Hardison said. He had done the same as Nate but found nothing. He had no idea where Kate was or even if she was with Susan, but it was a lead, find Susan and she could tell them where Kate was.

"Ok…so where did she go after the airport?"

"Well she took a cab, I have the cab number and after hacking into the company I know where she was dropped off. After that…there are no traffic cams in the area she went to." Hardison told him.

"How long ago was this?" Sophie asked still trying to spot anything that would help them in the video Hardison had playing and replaying on his computer.

"She left the airport about thirty minutes ago, was dropped of maybe twenty minutes ago."

"Ok so tell me about the place she was dropped off." Nate said tearing his eyes away from the screen and staring at the Hacker.

"We're here." Eliot said pulling the van up in front of the departures.

Hardison quickly packed his laptop and they piled out of the van and moved swiftly into the airport. They still had a few minutes before the plane boarded and Hardison used it to fill Nate in on exactly where Susan Sellwood had had the taxi drop her off. He also told Nate that she had not left that area by taxi as far as he could determine, there were variables though he was at pains to point out.

The flight was only about fifty or so minutes, but to Sophie and Nate and the others it was one of the longest they had ever taken. Once they landed the picked up their rental van which Hardison had arranged and were on their way to the last place they knew Susan Sellwood had been.

"So this is where she came…" Sophie said as they pulled up outside a very large and expensive looking house. They were in an area of Atlantic City called Margate, a wealthy area with long tranquil streets lined with trees.

"Do you think Kate is in there?" She asked turning her eyes to Nate. Nate looked into those dark chocolate orgs and he felt his chest tighten.

"Hardison…what do we know about the owners?" Nate said taking Sophie's hand in his but not answering her question.

"Geoff and Martha Peterson." Hardison told them. "Geoff is a CEO of a large company in town and Martha is…sorry was a stay at home mom."

"Was…?"

"Their daughter Deborah died six months ago, she was only…two years old, she had a very rare illness."

"The perfect couple to look to adopt…" Eliot said.

"Yes…according to Mrs Peterson's medical records, she can't have any more children."

"Kate's in there…" Sophie said moving to exit the van. Her daughter was in that house and she was going to get her.

"Sophie we don't know that." Nate said grabbing his wife and stopping her from getting out.

"Nate…"

"Soph please. Yes I think that Susan is going to sell Kate to these people but we don't know that she already has. If we rush in there now, we could scare her off and jeopardise getting Kate back. We need to play this very carefully Soph…trust me." Nate said locking his blue eyes with her brown, his eyes begging her to trust him, to allow him to play this the way he needed to, to ensure Kate's safe return.

Sophie fought the urge to pull away and rush into the house. She knew in her heart that Nate was right, they had to be careful, they had to make sure. She nodded at Nate not trusting herself to speak at that moment and took her seat again.

"Ok...so how do we get into the house?" Nate asked almost to himself. What con could they pull to get allowed access into the house without causing any suspicion on the part of the occupants? "We need to get some bugs planted and Hardison you need to tap the phone. I assume you already have the mobiles covered?" Nate asked without needing the Hacker to answer.

"Well Mrs Peterson is planning a very big party for a week from now. Seems like a kids party because she called an agency to get a clown to perform." Hardison said ignoring Nate's question, of course he had the mobiles covered.

"Well…" Nate said turning to Eliot. "I always wanted to see you in makeup and big shoes…" Nate said to the Hitter causing Eliot to scowl at him knowing what he was intimating.

"Man Nate…" Eliot growled at the Mastermind. Of course he would do it, but he didn't have to like it.

"Cool…" Parker said happily.

"Hardison did she order anything else?"

"Yeah she wanted a magician and pony rides…she's going all out." Hardison told the Mastermind.

"Ok well we are going to need a pony…"

"I don't like ponies…" Parker pouted.

"No but you are the magician's assistant. Sophie you are the owner of the pony and Hardison you're the wrangler. That gets us all in."

"I don't understand though who she is throwing the party for, I mean they have no other kids and as far as I can tell neither has any family with kids…so who's the party for?" Eliot asked although he had a good idea.

"It's a birthday party…" Sophie said suddenly understanding what Nate was thinking.

"Yes…" Nate said. "A coming home party…"

"Kate…" Sophie gasped. These people were preparing to receive their new child, her little girl.

"Maybe…Soph we don't know that and I…I don't…"

"No…no this is where we are going to get Kate back Nate, I can feel it."

"Ok…but Soph…we tread carefully." Nate warned her.

"Yes…yes…" Sophie said nodding her understanding.

"Ok…let's go steel ourselves a party…" Nate said sitting back and smiling at the group.

**Thanks again for all the great reviews I am so glad you are all still enjoying the story.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Nate a week…?" Sophie whispered as they prepared to take over the party at the Peterson's house.

"I don't see another way Soph…if we go in full steam we could scare her off, the deal doesn't go through and then…"

"What if we just approached them, I mean just told them that they were taking our child…"

"Soph…" Nate said looking at her with a slight frown. The woman knew better than that, she was a Grifter…she had spent her life in the dark underworld. People who were willing to buy a child were not going to be 'guilted' into giving that same child up. Telling them could add to the problems not ease them.

"I know…but…" Sophie tried to stop the tears but failed miserably. "Nate, what if this isn't Kate and we have wasted…what if she is out there somewhere else, what if…"

"Stop Soph…just stop it. Susan was here. She was here with these people and this is where we are going to get Kate back." Nate said. He had also considered the possibility that they were going down the wrong road. But he had to believe that it was not. That the Petersons were going to 'adopt' their little Kate and that they would be there to stop it.

"Don't worry Soph…we are going to get her back I promise." Nate said taking her into his arms and holding her tight.

"She must be so very scared…so alone…" Sophie sobbed. "What have they told her…? She's only three years old Nate…she's so…"

"Shhh…she's her mother's daughter Soph…she'll be alright…" Nate told the woman. Just then Hardison, Eliot and Parker burst through their door and Nate could immediately tell something was very wrong.

"What's wrong…what's happened." Nate asked feeling a panic rise in him.

"Susan Sellwood was just arrested for murder." Hardison blurted out.

"What…who…oh God…" Sophie said her eyes wide with fear.

"No…no…" Eliot said seeing that Sophie was jumping to conclusions. "She was apparently recognised by somebody and you know she has outstanding warrants on her for murder and assault… anyway they gave her up. She was taken into custody about an hour ago."

"Ok…ok…" Nate said taking a deep breath. "Does she have a lawyer yet?"

"No…she put in one call but it was to a burner phone. Probably to her boyfriend…"

"Who must be holding Kate…" Sophie added.

"Well he hasn't showed up nor has a lawyer and because she absconded the first time I doubt she is going to get bail." Eliot told them.

"I don't know that she has requested one yet." Hardison said.

"No but she might be amenable if one shows up…" Nate said.

"And suspicious..." Parker added ruefully.

"Maybe, but if that same lawyer was sent by her good friend Penelope Cowan who happened to hear of her arrest…"

"She doesn't know that Penelope is on to her game with Sophie…"

"No and she will think that Penelope would do anything to prevent her from telling Nate…"

"Which means Nate…" Eliot said turning to the Mastermind. "You can't play the lawyer. She'll be on to you, probably knows what you look like." He knew Nate was planning to go in and interrogate the woman but that would be too dangerous.

"She might know any one of us." Hardison added.

"She did talk about my 'team' so I think she might." Sophie agreed.

"But she won't know Sterling."

All of them stared at Nate. Sterling…as a lawyer…? But Nate ignored them pulling out his phone and dialling Sterling's number.

"Sterling…how quickly can you get to the airport? Hardison will have tickets for you when you arrive." Nate said not bothering with the normal courtesies.

"What's going on?" Sterling asked.

"Just get here Jim…I'll fill you in then." Nate said then hung up the phone. He looked up at Hardison who smiled at him. Sterling was on the next flight out and would be in town in just under two hours.

James Sterling arrived in Atlantic City exactly one hour and forty five minutes later with Maggie in tow. They were met at the airport and quickly bundled into the van and driven directly to the police station. Nate filled Sterling in on what was happening on the way and told him what he wanted the man to do.

"Make it very clear you are from Penelope and get it across that she will do anything to keep her from telling me what really happened to Sophie and Kate." Nate told the man.

"I got it Nate…" Sterling assured the Mastermind.

"We need her to talk Sterling…she is the only one who knows where Kate is." Sophie added.

"I know that…" Sterling said softly. "I'll get her to talk." He promised as he exited the van which had pulled up in front of the police station.

Sterling walked into the police station with an air of authority. He walked up to the main desk and demanded to see his client Susan Sellwood. The policeman behind the counter told him to wait and then disappeared into the rear of the station. Minutes later a tall well-built man in plain clothes emerged.

"Mr…"

"Finch…" Sterling finished for him not holding out his hand to the man.

"Mr Finch." Detective Sargent William Forrester acknowledged. "Ms Sellwood did not request a lawyer."

"Detective…"

"Forrester..."

"Well detective I have been sent by a friend of hers if it is any concern of yours…I believe you are aware of her sixth amendment rights…" Sterling asked his tone implying he did not think that the guy was bright enough to be aware of anything.

"Of course…" Forrester said hastily. "If Ms Sellwood wishes to consult with you…"

"Just tell her that Penelope Cowan sent me to assist in her predicament." Sterling told the man. "Today would be nice…" He added with sarcasm.

The detective gave a scowl to Sterling before turning to inform his detainee of Sterling's presence. He returned a few minutes later and indicated that Sterling should follow him.

"Remember Sterling…we need her to give up the information…" Nate told the man through the coms.

Sterling did not reply but sighed inwardly, he really didn't like having Nate in his head, but he knew he was just going to have to put up with it. Entering the interrogation room he found Susan Sellwood sitting handcuffed to the table.

"Is that necessary?" He asked the detective who accompanied him in.

"Yes." The man said firmly.

"Fine…" Sterling said walking forward and taking a seat opposite the woman. "Now get out. I would like some time with my client alone."

The detective threw another scowl at Sterling but nodded and left closing the door behind him.

"So Ms Sellwood…shall we talk?" Sterling said sitting back and surveying the woman before him.

"Penelope Cowan sent you?" Susan asked her voice deadpan.

"Yes…she heard about your…problem…and thought you would require a good lawyer to assist you. Was she wrong?" Sterling asked.

"How did she find out?" Susan asked. The woman was obviously suspicious of Sterling's presence.

"Look if we are going to play twenty questions then I think I will just leave and you can get another lawyer…" Sterling said standing up and grabbing his briefcase. "I was only doing this as a favour to an old friend." Sterling could hear the collective intake of breath from the listening crew.

"Don't overplay your hand Sterling…" Nate hissed. This was their one chance and Sterling had better not screw it up.

Sterling ignored the voice and walked toward the door knocking on it loudly.

"Finished already…?" The detective asked as he opened the door for Sterling.

"It appears the lady does not require a lawyer after all…" Sterling told the man and started walking out the door.

"Wait…" Susan said halting Sterling's progress. "Wait…I want to talk to him…"

Sterling turned around and looked at her and smiled. He had her. Then he walked back to the desk and sat down again.

"You can go now…" He told the detective without even turning to look at him.

Once the door was closed again Sterling sat back and smiled at Susan.

"So Penelope sent you."

"I think we covered that."

"Well she better look after me if she knows what's good for her…" Susan told Sterling.

"And what may I ask does that mean?" Sterling asked his face darkening.

"She knows…that's why she sent you. So you better be good, 'cause if I go down for this…" Susan said sitting back in her chair and smiling an evil smile at Sterling. "She will regret it."

"That sounds like a threat Ms Sellwood."

"Oh…no threat…just facts…" Susan told him. "Now how are you going to get me out of this?"

"Well…first I need to know the facts pertaining to the arrest and then we can talk about getting you out." Sterling said. He did not want to delve too deeply too soon, he would get what he needed out of her but it was going to take a bit of time.

An hour later Sterling left the police station no closer to knowing where Susan's boyfriend was or where Kate was. He had sat and listened to Susan and her story of what had happened when she had killed the man she was arrested for murdering. She claimed he had attacked her and so on and so forth. Sterling knew she was lying, he could feel it. He knew nothing about the case but he didn't need to, he knew the person he was speaking to.

"You got nothing…" Sophie said accusingly to him as he climbed into the van.

"I know…but I am seeing her tomorrow again." Sterling told the woman. "Look Sophie, I had to gain her trust first, if I came on too strong she would have baulked, she is a suspicious woman."

"Sterling's right Soph…" Nate said heavily. This was going to take a little time, time they did not have, every minute his daughter could be in more danger, alone with a man nobody knew…it killed him to think about it and he could see it was doing the same to his wife.

"Let's go back to the hotel. Hardison is monitoring all communication, if she contacts anybody we'll know." Eliot told them.

"What about if the boyfriend contacts the Peterson's…?" Parker asked.

"I got that covered too girl…" Hardison said.

Nate sighed heavily and then nodded at Eliot who immediately turned and started the van pulling out and into the road. They were all tired and they were all in need of some sleep. Every time they seemed to catch a break something turned up to put a spoke in it. He could see it was really taking its toll on Nate and Sophie, especially the latter who was still recovering from her injuries. He just hoped that tomorrow Sterling would get something and they could make some headway in finding Kate.

**So…another change in direction and another obstacle to overcome in the search for Kate. Will Susan tell Sterling what he wants to know? Does Penelope still have a part to play in the drama? What about the boyfriend and the Peterson's? Thank you all for the great reviews and please let me know what you thought of this chapter too and the direction the story is taking.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The next day found the seven of them back at the police station. Sterling went in leaving the others to sit and wait in the van. Sterling was taken straight in to talk with his client when he arrived. He found her in the same room and once again she was handcuffed to the table.

"Ms Sellwood…" He greeted as he took his seat opposite her. "You may leave…" He told the police constable who had taken him in. Once they were alone he turned his attention to the woman.

"I have reviewed the evidence and frankly Ms Sellwood it seems as if there is not much to go on. The video shows you beat that man to death without provocation of any kind."

"So what are you saying Finch?" Sellwood said unperturbed by his accusation.

"I am saying that winning this in court is not going to be possible. Perhaps I could get a good deal for you…?"

"I don't want a deal. I want out of here. Do you understand?" Sellwood told him.

"Ms Sellwood…"

"Look Finch let me make this very clear. If you don't get me out of this and I go to prison for any…and I mean any…amount of time then you can tell your friend that Nathan Ford will receive an anonymous letter telling him the whole damn story…"

"Nathan Ford…?"

"Don't play dumb with me, if you are her friend and you are representing her then you know exactly what I am talking about." Sellwood said.

"I can assure you Ms Sellwood…"

"And I can assure you Mr Finch that Penelope Cowan will be damned sorry she messed with me." Sellwood interrupted her. "Now what is your plan?" She said sitting back and smiling at the man. "I am assuming you and dear Ms Cowan have one."

"There is only one way to get you out of this…" Sterling said dropping his voice to a near whisper as if he were afraid they were being listened in on.

"Yeah bright spark…you only figured that out now?" Sellwood asked with amusement. She enjoyed seeing this pompous ass have to do something that he would have found repulsive under any normal circumstance. But he was a puppy dog she thought and his master had told him to do whatever it took, of that she was sure.

"I…I do not usually condone this type of thing Ms Sellwood, however Ms Cowan assures me that you are indeed innocent and that I must do everything in my power to get you out of this situation and to help you…make a new life for yourself elsewhere." Sterling said putting as much disgust into his tone as he could. He had to make her understand that this was not his normal way of doing things and that he was completely out of his league.

"Why the hell did she send you…?" Sellwood said shaking her head slightly. This guy was not going to know how to sort this.

"Ms Cowan thought that I would be able to assist in the legal way…" Sterling told her. "However that is clearly not possible. She therefore instructed me to…" Again Sterling dropped his voice to barely a whisper. "Organise whatever I had to…to ensure your freedom."

"Good for her…" Sellwood said lightly.

"There is a problem though Ms Sellwood…I have no…experience in this type of thing..." Sterling continued. "I have no contacts and it could take a few weeks at least to organise."

"No way man I want out of here today you hear me." Sellwood hissed at him.

"That is impossible Ms Sellwood." Sterling told her in a strained voice. "I have to source somebody to assist in your…defence."

"Look you idiot, I'll give you a name he's a friend of mine and he will be able to…assist in my defence…" She quipped. She took the notepad that Sterling had lying in front of him and wrote a name and a number on it. "Contact him, he'll do the heavy lifting for you."

"Well that does indeed change things Ms Sellwood." Sterling smiled at her. "They are moving you to county jail today."

"Yeah well then you better get moving." She snapped.

"Yes…yes of course. I will contact this…friend of yours immediately I leave here and let me assure you Ms Sellwood, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you get what you deserve."

Susan stared at him for a moment. That was a very odd thing to say, but perhaps it was because he was a pompous assed lawyer. Still she felt uneasy suddenly, but she was in no position to question him. Sterling stood up then and walked to the door knocking on it to summon the guard.

"I will be in touch with you." Sterling told her and then walked out and quickly made his way to the van handing Hardison the number as he entered.

"You were great…" Maggie smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Yeah Sterling…you could be a great Grifter…" Parker told him earning herself a look.

"Hardison…?" Nate asked ignoring the banter between Sterling and the team and keeping his eyes locked on his Hacker who was busy with his computer.

"Ready…" Hardison told him. Nate nodded and looked at Sterling who was already dialling the number.

"Yeah…" A gruff voice answered after a few rings.

"Hello…who am I speaking too?" Sterling asked.

"Who the hell is this and where did you get this number?" The man on the other end of the line asked.

"My name is Mr Finch, I was given this number by Ms Susan Sellwood." Sterling told him.

"Why?"

"He said you would be able to help her in her hour of need."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sir…Mr…" Sterling said waiting for the man to give him his name.

"Tony, now tell me what the hell is going on?"

"I have been retained by Ms Penelope Cowan to ensure your friends freedom. She told me that I could count on you to assist with that." Sterling told him.

"Yeah…" The man said and Sterling could hear he was unsure of whether to trust him or not.

"Look Mr…Tony…I do not have a lot of time to ensure that freedom. Ms Sellwood is being moved this afternoon and that would be the window of opportunity. Now as I explained to Ms Sellwood I have no experience in this…in these matters. Ms Sellwood assured me that you would be able to assist. If she was wrong then I do apologize for wasting your time." Sterling said sounding as if he was about to ring off.

"Wait…ok…so how do we get her out?"

"I believe it would be better if we met in person to discuss this Tony."

"Yeah ok…" Tony said then he gave Sterling an address and told him to be there within the hour.

"Go Eliot…" Nate instructed although he did not have to tell the Hitter. The van pulled into the traffic quickly and Eliot sped in the direction Hardison was calling out to him.

"When we get there I will go in, Eliot you and Parker go around the back, if Kate is there we have to make sure she is not caught in any crossfire agreed?" Sterling said looking directly at Nate when he spoke. He did not need Nate rushing in.

"No problem, you keep him busy we'll check the place out. If she isn't there then we have to play the game a little longer and get Susan out." Parker agreed. They could not blow it now. If Kate was not with this Tony then Susan was the only one who could lead them to the girl.

"If he sees more than just me…" Sterling said.

"Agreed…" Eliot said pulling up at a curb next to a dark black car. "Parker…"

Parker smiled and climbed out the van, she was gone for a minute only when she popped open the back door and told Sterling the car was all his. Sterling pulled a face and then nodded. He could not arrive at the house in the van with the rest of them and they needed a car. He climbed in the car and pulled off with Hardison directing him through the coms.

Sterling pulled up in front of the house and turned the car off. Hardison told him to hang ten whilst Parker and Eliot got into position. Five minutes later Sterling strode up to the door and knocked loudly.

**So will they find Kate at the address they have been given? Thanks again for all of your reviews they are greatly appreciated. **


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Ok Sterling keep him busy, we're going in." Eliot said quietly.

Sterling waited for a few second and was about to knock again when the door opened. The man who opened the door towered over Sterling and peered over him surveying the street behind him. Then he grabbed Sterling's arm and pulled him into the house shutting the door behind them.

"Talk…" He told Sterling as he pushed him into a chair roughly.

"I do not appreciate the manner in which you are treating me…" Sterling said his voice shaking as he feigned fear.

"Talk…Susan…now…" Tony told Sterling standing menacingly over him.

"Keep him busy Sterling…"Eliot's voice came through the coms.

"Oh Katie…" Parkers' voice came over the coms bringing everything to a standstill.

"Parker…Parker…" Nate said urgently. Had she found their daughter, was she inside the house…

"Katie darling…" Parker said again ignoring Nate as she moved quickly into the room dark room whose door she had just unlocked. The child sat in the corner on a small cot. She cowered into the corner pulling away from the approaching Parker.

"Parker dammit…" Nate hissed. Then without warning he jumped out of the van and started running down the street towards the house with Sophie close behind.

"Nate…" Hardison shouted as he watched the Mastermind run past the front of the van. "Sterling you got Nate coming…" He warned the Interpol man.

"Parker talk to me…" Nate said as he ran.

Parker approached the little girl talking softly to her and calling her name. She came to a stop by the side of the cot and looked down at the child who had made herself into a small little ball pushing herself right into the corner or the cot.

"Kate it's me Parker…" Parker whispered. She had not turned the light on so she could not see the little girl clearly.

"Don't hurt me…" A little voice pleaded with her.

"Oh darling I'm not going to hurt you…" Parker said softly. "I'm here to help you…"

Just then Nate burst through the front door almost falling into the house. Tony turned around in surprise and the pulled a gun from his waist, he lifted the weapon aiming it at Nate's head. Sophie stormed into the room bumping into Nate who had come to a halt. Just as Tony was about to pull the trigger Sterling stood up and pushed the man making him stumble forward the bullet flying off target but still grazing Nate sending him to the floor. Then Eliot dove forward from where he had entered the room throwing himself at the bigger man. After a few minutes it was all over with Tony lying unconscious on the floor. Nate was pushing himself to his feet with Sophie helping him. Then Parker entered the room carrying the little girl.

"Katie…" Sophie cried out running forward. The little girl cringed and clung tightly to Parker as she saw the woman move quickly toward them.

"No…It's not Kate…" Parker said shaking her head then looking down at the child she told her that she was safe, that Sophie would not hurt her, that they were all there to help her.

Sophie came to a halt with Nate at her side staring at Parker and the child. Sterling joined them along with Eliot.

"It's ok darling…we won't hurt you…" Sophie said walking forward and gently reaching out to the girl.

"I want my mommy…" The girl sniffed softly.

"I know darling and we will get you to her I promise." Sophie said. "What's your name…?"

"Mary." The child answered.

"Well Mary, I am Sophie and I promise you we will get you home."

"Promise…?" The girl whispered.

"We promise." Parker confirmed.

"Get him secured." Sterling instructed Eliot indicating Tony. Eliot nodded and between himself and Hardison who had entered shortly after the fight had ended they dragged the man into one of the rooms and returned after locking the door.

"Nate…sit." Eliot instructed him. "Maggie get the first aid kit from the van." Maggie turned and went back to the van to collect the kit.

Sophie helped Nate to the sofa and then took a seat next to him. Parker, with Mary still clinging to her, moved to the side of the room and sat down with the child on her lap. Eliot moved over to Nate and moving his shirt to reveal the deep grove in his upper arm where the bullet had grazed him. Then taking the kit from Maggie started to clean it and sew it up.

"Hardison we need to find out who she is." Nate said grimacing slightly as Eliot worked.

"Yeah, I'm checking all reports for missing children, in all states." Hardison said not looking up from his computer.

"Mary what is your mommy's name?" Parker asked softly.

"Georgia…" Mary answered looking up the Thief.

"And your daddy…?"

"He's bad…" Mary said cringing slightly and clinging more tightly to Parker.

"Oh God…I don't think me and Kate were Susan's first foray into this kind of thing." Sophie said as she listened to the little girls answer and hearing the fear in her small voice.

"Eliot we need him to talk." Nate said softly to the Hitter. He knew what he was asking, but he saw no other way. Eliot nodded, he too knew what Nate was asking.

"They were going to give this girl to the Peterson's, not Kate."

"Yes Soph…" Nate confirmed unnecessarily.

"So…"

"So now we find out where Kate is." Nate said standing up as Eliot finished his work. "We find out where this child's mother is and we find out where Kate is…one way or another."

"How do we do that?" Sterling asked although he already knew the answer.

"You all stay here. Hardison keep looking. Sterling you and I are going to visit Susan Sellwood."

"Nate…"

"The games are over, no more playing around. Eliot…?"

"If he knows anything…you'll know." Eliot told the Mastermind.

"I'm coming with you Nate." Sophie told him.

"Soph…"

"No…she took my child and I am coming with you." Sophie said and Nate knew by the tone in her voice that argument was futile.

"Fine…Parker, Maggie take care of Mary." Nate instructed. Then he started for the door with Sophie following close behind.

"Be careful and take care of them…" Maggie told her husband giving him a kiss as he started after them.

"I will." Sterling promised smiling at her then looked over at Eliot and nodded. He knew what the Hitter was going to do and although he did not condone any kind of torture, he was willing to make an exception in this case.

"Mary…are you hungry?" Maggie asked the girl who nodded in return. "Ok why don't you and me and Parker go and get you cleaned up and then get you something to eat?" She asked smiling at the child. Again Mary nodded back in response.

"Ok come on…" Maggie said indicating that Parker should follow her into the kitchen on the other side of the room leaving Eliot alone. He watched them leave and then turned and walked into the room they had locked Tony in.

"Hello Tony…" He said as he closed and locked the door behind him.

As Eliot confronted Tony, Nate Sophie and Sterling entered the police station. Sterling introduced the two people with him as his assistants. They waited a few minutes before being taken to the room to meet with Susan.

"What…what is going on here?' Susan said all colour draining from her face as she stared at a woman she thought dead.

"Seen a ghost…?" Sophie asked.

"Hello Susan…" Nate said stepping forward. "You are going to tell me everything I want to know…you are going to tell me where my daughter is…"

**So will Nate get Susan to talk? Will Eliot get Tony to talk? What did Susan do with Kate? Thanks again for all the reviews, please keep them coming.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"I have nothing to say to you." Susan told Nate. "Finch get the guard and get them out of here." Susan told Sterling who stood at the door watching.

"Oh you haven't met officially have you?" Nate smiled at her turning to Sterling.

"Susan Sellwood meet James Sterling."

"What…? No he's a lawyer…Penelope Cowan…"

"Oh you can't play that card…we know all about Penelope Cowan and she has been taken care of." Sophie told the woman seeing the route that Nate was taking.

"Besides actually he is not Mr Finch. He is James Sterling from Interpol. Now you can either speak to me, and tell me what I need to know, or Sterling here is going to have you released into his custody and you can go to one of Interpol's not so pleasant prisons where you can rot for the rest of your miserable life."

"You're lying…" Susan said staring at Sterling. "You're all con men…I know all about your crew…"

"Then you will know that Sterling is not part of it…" Nate told her then turned to James. "Perhaps you should formally introduce yourself to that detective, and tell him you will be taking custody of her for international child trafficking."

Sterling nodded and turned to the door.

"Fine…but then you will never know where your precious Kate is…" Susan said regaining some of her composure. Sterling might well be Interpol but they were not going to do anything to her, they wanted their daughter and she held the winning hand in this game.

"I don't think you understand." Nate told her his voice ice cold and his eyes ablaze with anger. "Let me explain what happens after this. You see James here he has you released into his custody. Unfortunately while he is transferring you to the Interpol offices you are going to escape and this time you will never be heard of again." Nate said his voice was soft and even and low.

"What do you mean…?" Susan said an uneasy feeling coming over her.

"I mean Susan that one way or another, I am going to get the information I need out of you. Now Eliot is having a friendly chat with your friend Tony…" Nate told her. "You said you know my crew, then you know who Eliot is right? Well he will have the same chat with you."

Then he reached up and took out his earbud and standing leaned over and put it into Susan's ear. Immediately the woman's face filled with fear as she listened over the coms to Eliot's 'friendly' chat with Tony. The blood drained from her face and she turned to Sterling.

"You can't allow this…you are the law…"

"I don't know what you are talking about?" Sterling smiled at her. "You are a known flight risk who has escaped from custody before to disappear so you will just do it again, but as Nate here said, this time you will just never be found again." Sterling told her.

"Ok, if I tell you what you want to know…"

"You don't understand Susan this is NOT a negotiation and you have exactly one minute to start talking. Then Sterling here is going to do his duty and what happens after that well…." Nate left the rest up to her imagination.

"Ok…ok…I'll tell you want you want to know." Susan said deciding that being here in prison was better than the alternative. "I…I…"

"Just tell me what you did with my child or so help me…" Sophie hissed at the woman who recoiled from her as she spoke. Susan could see her own demise in Sophie's eyes and she knew if this woman got her hands on her she would not survive.

"Kate is with a couple in New Orleans." Susan told them deciding that being as straight forward now was the best option. "I…they really wanted a child and they couldn't have one and…"

"You sold my child…and that is not the first one you have sold is it?" Sophie spat at her.

"I provide a service…" Susan told her and before either Nate or Sterling could stop her Sophie was on Susan slapping her through the face and bringing tears to the woman's eyes and cutting her lip open with the sharp edges of her ring. She was about to hit the woman again when Nate's strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her back.

"Soph…" He whispered to her. "We need more information first." Sophie struggled against Nate and then sagged into this arms as she realised he was right.

"Name and address…" Nate said placing a pen and paper before the woman. Susan took the pen and wrote the name and address of the people she had given Kate to.

"Good." Nate said taking the paper. "Sterling…" He said turning to the Interpol man who nodded back to him then Nate walked to the door and called the guard to open for them.

"Wait…you said…" Susan called out as Nate and Sophie walked through the door and Sterling remained, telling the guard he needed to speak to the detective in charge.

"Go to hell…" Nate said turning briefly towards her before taking Sophie's hand and leading her out of the station.

Now they had a name and address of the people who had their daughter and they could go and get her. Quickly they both got into the van and Nate set off for the house to collect the others. As they travelled he gave Hardison instructions to get them tickets to New Orleans and to be ready to leave when they got to the house. As much as Nate wanted to leave immediately he knew the rest of his family would want to be with them when they retrieved Kate. They arrived at the house to find the three of them waiting outside. As Nate pulled the van up they all clambered into the van.

"Good work Eliot." Nate told the Hitter.

"I am just glad it worked…anyway he was easy." Eliot smiled at the Mastermind. Their ruse had worked. His audio show of beating Tony had persuaded Susan she had to talk, and besides he enjoyed laying some hurt on the burly man who had dared to touch his family and that was something Eliot did not tolerate.

"Hardison…"

"Tickets are waiting at the airport." He told the Mastermind. "Flight time is around two hours."

"Thanks Hardison…What about Mary?"

"Maggie has her. She said she would wait for Sterling to arrive and then they would hand her over to child services. Hardison could not find anything on her or her mother." Parker told them. "We have to find her though…"

"We will Parker I promise." Nate told the Thief. "As soon as we get Kate back we will make sure Mary is taken care of."

Parker nodded contentedly, if Nate said they would find her mother they would of that she was sure. Either that or they would make sure that Mary was reunited with her family even if it was not her mother, and was kept safe from her father. Right now though Kate was the priority for all of them.

They arrived at the airport and made their way to the departures terminal. They had a while to wait before the plane departed. They all sat in the lounge waiting for the boarding call. Hardison sat holding Parker close and Sophie leaned against Nate who had his arm wrapped around her. They were all wondering how the next few hours would go down. Hardison had done some research on the people Susan had said she had sold Kate to. All things pointed to a happily married couple who had tried for years to have their own child but could not. Due to the fact that the husband had a juvenile record, he was not eligible to adopt legally and that was probably why they had gone the route they had. Hopefully there would be no trouble when they arrived to retrieve Kate but there were no guarantees.

"We are going to get her back Nate…" Sophie whispered tears slipping from her eyes as she realised that they were so close to getting their little girl back.

"I told you we would…'

"Yes you did…"

"I love you Sophie, you and Kate…I will always, always make sure we are together, nobody and nothing will keep us apart..." Nate said kissing her gently as she turned her face up to his.

"I love you so much Nate…so very, very much my darling…" She whispered back pulling him into a tight hug.

"Nate, Sophie…" Eliot called as their flight was called.

"Yes…" Nate said standing up and taking Sophie's hand. "Let's go get our little girl…" He smiled at her and then the five of them made their way to the boarding gate.

**So they finally they know where Kate is. Thank you all again so very much for your reviews, I truly appreciate each and every one of them.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Once they arrived in New Orleans they immediately set out for the address that they were told Kate had been taken to. The house they approached was large and opulent. It was situated in the Garden District of the city. The houses were grand and well secured with enormous gardens and high walls surrounding them.

"So how do we handle this?" Hardison asked as they pulled up outside the house.

"We get our Kate back." Nate said. "I'm going in alone Sophie." He told Sophie and the others. Eliot looked at the Mastermind and then nodded after reading the message in Nate's eyes. He climbed out the car and Parker and Hardison also climbed out but Sophie remained.

"No…She's my daughter too." Sophie objected.

"I'm going in alone." Nate said his voice firm and his tone told her there would be no further argument.

"Nate…"

"Sophie…it has to be like this, we don't know what is going to happen in there and I will not have you in any danger. Now stay here with Eliot and the others please…" Nate asked his blue eyes pleading with her to listen to him, to obey him.

"Fine…but if there is any trouble…"

"I'm on coms, you will hear exactly what is going on." Nate assured her and Eliot, he could see the Hitter was not happy.

"Be careful Nate."

"I will." Nate told her and then kissed her passionately before she too exited the car. Nate drove up to the main gate and pressed the intercom button.

"I am here to see Mr and Mrs Johnson in regards their adoptive daughter." Nate answered deciding that if nothing else that would probably get him through the gate.

There was no reply but the gates opened to allow the car through. Nate drove up the long tree lined driveway and stopped the car in the front of the house. He was met by a large man who Nate could see had a concealed weapon on him. He was obviously the security.

"Mr Johnston will see you…" The man told Nate then instructed him to follow him into the house. Nate was led through the large reception area and then through large wooden sliding doors into the room that was obviously a study. "Wait here…"

Nate surveyed the room. It was lavishly decorated with great leather overstuffed chairs and book cases lining the walls filled with books, some he could see were old and probably first additions. These people obviously had money.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Michael Johnston

"My name is Nathan Ford…" Nate introduced himself holding out his hand with Michael pointedly ignored.

"What do you want?" Johnston asked again.

"You have just adopted a three year old girl. Kate…she is my daughter." Nate said, he was tired of games, he wanted Kate back and he was not prepared to play anymore.

"You are mistaken." Johnston said.

"I don't think so Mr Johnston." Nate told the man. "Susan Sellwood organised that you do a private adoption for a three year old girl. That girl is my daughter. Now if you will get Kate, we can clear all of this up." Nate could see the recognition in Johnston's eyes as he mentioned Susan's name. They were definitely at the right place.

"We did adopt a little girl. The adoption was legal and is complete. Now I don't know what you think you are doing but I do not appreciate your presence here."

"Mr Johnston we can clear this up pretty quickly. If you would bring Kate out here we can determine if she is my daughter or not. Now I am sure you would not want to keep a child that was stolen from her parents, I am sure you want to make sure that your adoption is legal. If she isn't…then I will apologize and leave you and your wife in peace."

"I don't think so." Johnston said softly. "I think you are going to leave here now and you are never going to come back here. Now I don't know who you really are or what you think you are going to gain out of this but I am not going to give you a cent more and you can tell Ms Sellwood that too. Now get out of my house and don't come near me or my family again or you will be sorry." Johnston told him then nodded to the man who had escorted him out. "Kevin will see you out."

"I am not leaving here without Kate." Nate told him.

"You don't understand Mr Ford…I am not asking I am telling." Johnston told Nate squaring up to face Nate.

"I don't think YOU understand Mr Johnston I'm not asking…I'm telling." Nate said his eyes locking with Johnston's in a struggle of wills.

"Kevin explain to Mr Ford please…" Johnston said stepping away as Kevin made his way forward to stand in front of Nate. "His presence is no longer desired here."

Kevin smiled at Nate and then threw a punch that if it had landed it would have taken the Masterminds head off. Nate however ducked out of the way and swung his right hand around in the same movements burying it into the big man's waist taking him by surprise and doubling him over. He recovered quickly though and turned grabbing Nate and flinging him into the wall driving all the air out of the Mastermind. He then lifted Nate up and landed a punch to his stomach that sent Nate to the floor again gasping for breath. As he was about to lift the Mastermind again a hand grabbed him and spun him around and into the oncoming fist which connected with the mans' nose sending him crashing to the ground unconscious.

"Nate…" Eliot called out as he turned from the downed man to see the Mastermind struggling to his feet.

"Just stand where you are." Michael Johnston snapped holding the gun he had retrieved from the desk drawer.

"I see you brought company Mr Ford." Johnston smiled at him, thank you for that, now I can shoot both of you and with the damage to the room and Kevin over there I can justify it. I caught you two breaking into the house and well…there was a struggle as my security man was injured fearing for my life I retrieved my gun and…well you see how that ends." He said raising the gun up and pointing it at Eliot seeing him as the greater threat.

Nate got to his feet finally and pulled himself upright facing Johnston.

"You will give me my daughter…"

"Sorry…" Johnston said as Eliot tensed and he put his finger in the trigger guard.

"Michael…what…what is going on here?" A female voice said as the doors opened and a youngish woman walked through carrying a child in her arms.

"Daddy…" The little girl cried out as Nate turned to face the new player in the game and his eyes immediately fell on his daughter who struggled against the woman holding her until she put her down, then she ran into the waiting arms of her father.

"Kate…" Nate said picking her up and hugging her tightly.

"Marcy what are you doing down here I told you to stay in the room…" Johnston said lowering the gun as his wife stared at him and then at the man who held her new daughter.

"I don't understand…what…why are you holding a gun and why is Julia calling that man Daddy?" Marcy Johnston said utterly confused by the events unfolding in front of her.

"She is my daughter Kate. She was taken from us…kidnapped…" Nate said still holding the girl tightly.

"No…no you are lying..." Marcy said turning to her husband. "You told me her parents were killed in a motor car accident…"

"I am afraid your husband lied to you, he bought her from a woman who stole her from me and my wife." Nate told her.

"Oh my God Michael…"

"Marcy please…we couldn't…there was no other way." Johnston said desperately. "Please you have to understand."

"Understand…understand…how could you Michael…? You…you STOLE a child…" Marcy said her eyes blazing as she realised what Nate was saying. She shook her head in despair as she digested the information.

"Kate…" Another voice said behind Marcy as Sophie stormed into the room followed by Parker and Hardison.

"Mommy…" The little girl cried out and reached for her mother. Nate handed the girl to Sophie kissing her gently as he did.

"Oh Kate…oh my darling…" Sophie said tears streaming down her face as she hugged her daughter.

"I can't believe you did this Michael…if she were our child…if…" Marcy said watching the reunion between mother and child and tears forming in her own eyes.

Michael Johnston stared at his wife and he knew he had lost not only his new daughter but his wife too. He watched as Sophie and her daughter bonded with each other both clinging to each other and crying. Nate stood just in front of them watching too as his family came together again. Nathan Ford…this was all his fault Johnston thought to himself. He could have another child, him and that wife of his, but this was his only chance and now he was losing everything and it was all that man's fault. It was not fair…it was not fair…he told himself. He looked down at the gun in his hand and his eyes hardened. Ford was going to pay for this…he was going to lose his family just as he had just taken his away from him.

Everything happened in an instant after that. Eliot called out to Nate warning him and then sprang towards Johnston, Nate stepped in front of Sophie who turned her back to shield her child. Hardison and Parker pulled Marcy down and out of the line of fire. Two shots went off deafening everybody in the room. Eliot was on Michael as he squeezed the trigger and then had him on the ground and with one blow rendered him unconscious. He took the gun and stood up looking around the room to make sure everybody was unharmed. Everybody seemed fine, Parker and Hardison were regaining their feet and helping Marcy up. Nate stood in front of Sophie and Kate who were both still crying and clinging to each other. Eliot ejected the round in the chamber and then removed the clip before placing the gun on the table and then turning to make sure all threat was neutralised. As he turned his attention was quickly called back to the main room as Sophie cried out. He swung around to see Nate drop to his knees and then fall flat on the ground unmoving.

"Daddy…Daddy…" Kate Ford screamed out as she watched her father fall to the floor.

"Nate…oh God…" Sophie said wanting to drop to her knees at his side but knowing she had to take care of Kate. She pulled the little girl tighter to her and watched as Eliot knelt down next to the stricken man turning him over gently.

"Hardison call 911 now…" Eliot said seeing the blood seeping through Nate's shirt. "Parker take Sophie and Kate out…" Eliot instructed.

"Eliot…"

"Take care of your daughter Sophie there is nothing you can do for Nate…" Eliot said taking off his jacket and placing it over the wound. There was nothing he could do for Nate either except try to stem the bleeding until the paramedics got there.

The ambulance arrived a mere ten minutes later along with the police. While the paramedics worked on Nate Eliot gave his statement along with the others and Marcy. Within a few minutes of arriving they were ready to transport Nate to hospital.

"Katie darling…go to Parker ok, I have to go with your Daddy…" Sophie said handing her daughter to the little Thief. Then she kissed her on the forehead and ran out after the medics and climbed into the ambulance with Nate.

"It's ok Kate…it's ok…" Parker said as the child began to cry again. "Everything is going to be ok…" She tried to soothe her although she was not sure it would be, Nate was in bad shape she could see it by the look in Eliot's eyes.

It took another thirty minutes before the police were ready to allow them to leave for the hospital. As they left they saw Michael Johnston and Kevin being placed into the waiting police cars. They drove in silence to the hospital. They found Sophie in the waiting room, she could not tell them anything except that during the drive over they had almost lost him. He was rushed straight into surgery and she had heard nothing since. Kate immediately sought the arms of her mother and Sophie wrapped her in her arms and held on her to tightly. Then the five of them sat down and waited for news of Nate.

**So they got Kate back. I am sorry but you all know I can't resist having Nate hurt in some way, and although it took a while it had to happen. Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the delay but my power supply died…I know it was not long but I like to post daily. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Sophie saw the doctor emerge and walk directly to them. She could see on his face that he was not brining good news and her heart sank. She kissed her daughter on her head and then handed her over to Parker before standing and meeting the doctor. Kate was sleeping peacefully and if this was bad news…

"Doctor…"

"Mrs Ford…" The doctor said coming to a halt in front of the woman. Eliot and Hardison had joined her and although Parker desperately wanted to hear what was happening she hung back holding the sleeping Kate in her arms.

"Is he…did…"

"He survived the surgery Mrs Ford…" The doctor told her but she could tell that that was the only good news he was going to give her.

"Thank God…" Hardison blurted out and turned to give Parker the thumbs up.

"But…?" Sophie asked quietly.

The doctor looked at her and nodded at her implication that that was basically the good news.

"But your husband sustained a serious injury. The bullet entered his back just below the right shoulder blade, it shattered his 9th rib and perforated his lung before exiting his body. Unfortunately one of the shards from the rib lodged in the wall of his heart causing cardiac haemorrhaging…the blood filled up the chest cavity putting pressure on his remaining lung. Now we have managed to repair the damage but he lost an enormous amount of blood. He also, as you know was in full cardiac and respiratory arrest when he was brought into the hospital, I am afraid he went into arrest again on the table. We have inserted a drainage tube into his chest and we had to intubate him, so he is not breathing on his own at the moment." The doctor paused to allow the information to sink in.

As Eliot listened to the litany of damaged the bullet had done he blanched slightly, his chances were not good. He looked at Sophie and then to Hardison and he could see on their faces that they understood the seriousness of the situation.

"Mrs Ford, I can see that your husband is a fighter, he would not have made it this far if he weren't, but I have to be honest with you, the chances of him coming through this are not great. The next fourty eight hours will tell us more, but I suggest that you prepare for the worst…I am sorry."

The doctor's words brought a flash of anger to Sophie's eyes. How dare this man write Nate off.? Nate was a fighter he was right and he would fight to come back to them…he would come back to them, to his family.

"Thank you doctor…" Eliot said before Sophie could say anything. "Can we see him?"

"He will be in recovery for a while and then we will move him to ICU. You can see him then but only one at a time and only for a few minutes. He is extremely susceptible to infection. One more thing…" The doctor told them. "We have him in an induced coma to give him a chance to heal, we will evaluate the situation again in twenty four hours. I will have the nurse fetch you once we have moved him into ICU."

The three watched the doctor walk away before turning back to Parker who still held the sleeping Kate. Sophie took the sleeping child trying to contain her tears as she rocked the little girl. Eliot and Hardison explained to Parker what was happening. An hour later the nurse came to fetch them telling them they could see Nate for a few minutes. It was decided that Sophie could go into the room and the rest would wait outside. They could see Nate through the glass surrounding the room. Parker once again had Kate in her arms. Sophie entered the room and approached Nate's bed. He looked so small and she was afraid to get to close. He had so many wires and pipes protruding from him. The ventilator obscured his face and his skin was pallid , almost paler than the white sheets he lay on. His chest was bare except for the long bandage that covered the incision almost from his chin all the way down to his belly. She reached out and tentatively touched his hand.

"You won't hurt him…" The nurse told her as she watched her tentatively place her hand on Nate's. "You know it can only do him good to know somebody is here for him."

Sophie looked up at the young nurse and smiled through her tears.

"He…he looks so fragile and all the pipes and…"

"I know…but you know I believe that even when they are not awake, they know, they can feel your presence and that makes all the difference." The nurse told her.

"Thank you…" Sophie said taking a step closer to the bed.

She reached out and placed her hand on his forehead, it felt cold and his skin was clammy. Her other hand held his and squeezed it gently.

"Nate darling I am here…we are all here and we are all safe. Kate is just waiting for her Daddy to hold her…" Sophie said as tears once again flowed down her face. "I love you so much Nate…please…I can't lose you. Kate needs her Dad and I need my husband. You have to fight Nate…you have to fight my darling." She told him her hand still resting on his forehead. She half expected something, some form of acknowledgement from him but there was nothing, just the sounds from the medical equipment…that was the only indication of life at all.

She looked over at the others who all stood at the window. Parker rocking Kate gently in her arms, the little girl was now awake and staring through the window at her parents. Sophie smiled at the child not wanting to frighten her, then she looked down at Nate again and lifting his hand to her lips she kissed it gently.

"Me and Kate are waiting for you my love…" She whispered to him. "I love you." Then she turned and left the room.

As Sophie walked out of the room her daughter ran to her parker having put her down just as Sophie walked out.

"Mommy…" The little girl cried out as Sophie scooped her up into her arms.

"It's ok Kate…It's going to be ok…" Sophie said hugging the child tightly.

"I want to see Daddy." Kate told her mother.

"I know my darling but you can't right now. Your Daddy is sleeping and he needs his sleep ok…"

"Can I see him when he wakes up?" Kate asked staring over her mothers' shoulder at the sleeping form of her father.

"Yes my darling I promise." Sophie said.

"Ok…" Kate said then pulled slightly away from Sophie to be able to look at her. "When will Daddy wake up?"

"Soon my darling…soon…" Sophie told her hoping that she would not be made a liar if Nate never woke up. The thought nearly made her collapse but she just pulled Kate tighter to her and steeled herself. She had to be strong for her daughter.

"Ok…well…" Hardison said turning away from the window. "I have organised hotel rooms for us. The hotel is just across the road."

"I…"

"Sophie there is nothing we can do here. We all need to get cleaned up and I think we could all do with a good meal." Parker told the woman. Nate would want her to make sure Sophie and Kate were taken care of and that was what she would focus on.

"Ok…" Sophie said. She knew Parker was right. She was exhausted and so were the others. They had not had a decent meal for a while and Kate…well Kate they didn't even know when last Kate had eaten. "I just…I don't…"

"Don't worry Sophie, I'll stay. You take Kate and get some rest and some food. I promise I will let you know if anything happens." Eliot told her. She did not want to leave Nate alone in case something happened and he understood that. She was torn between being with her husband and taking care of her daughter.

"Thank you Eliot." Sophie smiled at the Hitter.

"Ok let's go." Hardison said putting his hand on Sophie's back and steering her towards the elevators.

"Eliot…"

"I promise Sophie." Eliot assured her.

Sophie took one last look at the still form of Nate in the glass room and then turned and left. Eliot turned back to the glass and stared through it at Nate.

"What the hell Nate…" He whispered. "You have a damn cross hair on you…what the hell…" Eliot said shaking his head as he spoke softly to the man who could not hear him. "Couldn't you just have pulled them down…couldn't you have…God damn it Nate…" Eliot said frustrated that the man had gotten hurt, frustrated that he had not been able to stop Johnston before he pulled the trigger. "You better not die…" He warned the unconscious Mastermind. "You better not Nate because…" Eliot fought the emotion that welled up in him. "Dammit Nate…" Eliot stood like that for a few minutes just staring in at the sick man. Then he decided to go and get some coffee before settling in for a long vigil.

Eliot was gone for only a minute or two when another figure approached the window separating the visitors from the patient. The figure stood at the window and then raised her hand and placed it on the window.

"I am so sorry this happened Nate…this was never supposed to happen." The figure whispered.

"Are you also family of his Miss…?" The nurse asked as she stopped outside the room before going in to check Nate's vitals.

The woman nodded, then looked up at the nurse her eyes swimming in tears.

"Can…can I…can I go in and…"

The nurse stared at her for a few minutes and then nodded. She had not seen the woman with the others but she was obviously connected to the patient.

"Only for a minute…" The nurse told her.

The woman nodded and then moved into the room and to Nate's side. She reached out and took his hand rubbing it gently.

"Everything will be alright Nate…everything will be alright." She told him. "You see…" She said leaning in to whisper in his ear as she laid a hand to his forehead. "I told you that you would be happier with me. This would never have happened if you had just…" She stood up and looked down at the man in the bed. "You lied to me Nate, you said we…we would fix things and then you ran off and you let them take me, but I forgive you. I love you Nate…"

"I am afraid you will have to go now Miss…" The nurse said as she finished checking Nate's charts.

The woman looked up at the nurse and then her eyes fell on the figure exiting the elevator and nodded, dropping her head slightly and whispering her thank you to the nurse before quickly leaving the room and turning away from the elevators and disappearing before Eliot could see her. He took a seat outside the room and settled in until the others returned. About an hour later the nurse who had been looking after Nate since they had arrived approached him.

"Hi…I'm going off duty now but I thought you would like to know that he is doing alright, his vitals are stable and he is holding his own." She said approaching the man.

"Thank you." Eliot smiled at her.

"Well you know not many patients have so many people here for them. I mean you and all the others earlier and then that other lady…she really was upset."

"What other woman?" Eliot said suddenly on high alert.

"The lady who stayed with him while you went for coffee…" The nurse said not sure what the good looking young man's disposition had suddenly changed.

"This is very important…" Eliot told the nurse his voice had a hard edge to it now and the nurse knew something she had said had upset him. "I need you to describe her to me…"

"She was…I don't know about fourty I think, not too tall and with brown hair I think…I…I didn't pay that much attention." She said suddenly afraid without knowing why.

"Ok…ok…what did she do?" Eliot said backing off slightly realising that he was frightening the woman. "I'm sorry but this is very important…please." HE reiterated.

"Well she just…I don't know talked to him. I didn't hear what she said but she was obviously upset by his condition…I'm sorry…I thought she was family she seemed so…so distraught."

"It's ok…really…no harm done." Eliot told her seeing that she was now visibly upset. "I just didn't realise she was here…"

"She didn't…I mean I know he was shot and…She didn't…"

"No…no…" Eliot smiled at her. "No just…just if she comes back…well you know she and Nate were close and then they had a fight and now…well, after what happened…"

"Oh…oh ok…" The woman said thinking she understood. Obviously a family feud, she was not part of the family any more, the patient must have had a fight with her over something. She had seen it a million times, families don't speak to each other and then something happens and they have regrets and try to make things right.

"Thanks again…for taking such great care of Nate." Eliot told her.

"Oh…yes well, he is a lucky man to have so many people concerned for his welfare." She told him. "It's always sad when they have nobody. Anyway I have to go, I'll see you again in the morning." She said then left.

Eliot watched her leave and then pulled out his phone.

"Eliot…has something…"

"No Hardison Nate is fine." Eliot assured the Hacker. "I need you to get over here and bring your stuff."

"Eliot…"

"Just get here Hardison and don't tell Sophie, let Parker stay with her ok."

"You're scaring me man…"

"Dammit Hardison just get your ass over here now."

"Ok man…" Hardison said hanging up the phone.

Eliot immediately dialled another number.

"Bonnano…"

"Pat, where is Penelope?"

"Eliot…" Bonnano said then read the urgency in Eliot's voice and immediately told him that Penelope Cowan had got bail. He was having her followed and as far as he knew she was at her house.

"Check on her."

"Eliot what's going on?"

"Nate was shot. I think Penelope was here at the hospital."

"Nate was shot…? By Penelope…?"

"No…no it's a long story Pat but I need to know where Penelope is." Eliot replied.

"You got it Eliot." Patrick Bonnano said sensing that Eliot was not going to tell him the 'long story' right then. "I'll call you back."

"Thanks Patrick." Eliot said then hung up the phone and stared in at the window and at Nate.

"Eliot what the hell is going on?" Hardison asked as he walked through the elevator's to be met by the Hitter.

"I think Penelope is here…"

"Here…here…in this hospital? Why…?" Hardison asked.

"That I don't know Hardison but it ain't good." Eliot told his friend. "We need to set up surveillance. Nate is never alone understand?"

"Yeah man I understand." Hardison said starting to work on his computer. "Don't we have enough trouble…?" He said shaking his head as he worked.

"Just get it done Hardison." Eliot told the man. "I don't know what she wants but she is obsessed with Nate and she could do anything." Eliot told him. She could either go after Sophie and Kate and try to get them out of the way, or…she was a nut and was capable of anything, including going out and taking Nate with her.

"What about Sophie…I mean she tried to get rid of her and Kate before remember."

"Yeah, that's why I'm headed to the hotel and you are staying here. Keep the coms in." Eliot said then turned and left the Hacker.

Hardison watched him go then pulled out his phone.

"Hardison what is going on?" Parker answered.

"Eliot will explain when he gets there. Don't open the door to anybody Parker, Penelope is back."

"Got it." Parker said not asking any more questions.

Parker hung up the phone and went to check that the door was securely locked. She looked in on the main bedroom to find Sophie curled up in bed with her daughter sleeping peacefully. She closed the door softly then started checking on all the windows in the suite. They were in the penthouse but she knew better than anybody that was no guarantee that somebody could not get into through the window. Whatever Penelope wanted she was going to have to go through her to hurt her family any more than she already had.

**So Penelope is back but what does she have in mind? What about Nate will he be alright? Are Sophie and Kate in danger again? Thank you all so much for your reviews they are very much appreciated.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The next week was spent between the hotel and Nate's hospital bed, or rather the waiting room outside of the ICU. Nate's condition had improved slightly in that he was now breathing on his own and they had weaned him off of the sedatives however he remained unconscious having slipped into a coma. The doctor had warned them that Nate could remain in a coma for an extended period of time. Bonnano had confirmed that Penelope was not at her home and she had slipped the watchful eye of the two officers he had tasked to watch her. He offered to come out to New Orleans to help but Eliot told him there was nothing he could do, the best thing was to stay where he was and follow Penelope's movements as best he could. Sterling and Maggie had taken care of Susan who was taken into custody by Interpol and charged with child trafficking. Sterling had located Mary's grandparents and they had collected the little girl, she would stay with them until they could locate her mother's whereabouts. Both of them had offered to make their way to New Orleans to be with Nate and help with the Penelope situation but Eliot had told them not too.

"Well his condition has improved enough for us to move him out of ICU." The doctor informed them one week and three days after Nate had been brought into the hospital.

"Can he be moved…I mean can he fly?" Sophie asked causing the doctor to raise his eyebrow in question. "I…I would like to take him back to Portland."

"I see." The doctor said then nodded. "Yes I think that would be fine if you use a medevac plane and all the necessary precautions were taken."

"Of course…" Sophie agreed. She wanted to go home, she wanted to take her daughter home. Kate needed to be home, although the little girl was coping with her ordeal well, Sophie knew she needed familiarity.

"Alright, well I will make the necessary arrangements to have him transferred to Portland Memorial." The doctor said. He knew the hospital and it was a good one, he was sure that his patient would be in good hands there. "I know a doctor there who could take over his case."

"Thank you doctor…" Sophie said gratefully.

The doctor smiled at her and then turned to go make the arrangements. Sophie watched him go and then turned back to Nate.

"We are going to go home darling, I'm going to take you home and then…then you have to come back to me…please Nate you have to come back." She said leaning in and kissing him gently.

"What did he say?" Hardison asked as Sophie exited Nate's room.

"He said we could take him home." Sophie said and immediately Hardison sprang to life making all the necessary arrangements for the flight. Sophie smiled as he set to work and then turned back to the window to look in on Nate again. Eliot joined her and for a few minutes they just stood together watching the Mastermind who lay almost lifeless on the bed in the room.

"He's going to wake up right Eliot?" Sophie asked not taking her eyes of her husband.

"I don't know Sophie." Eliot said.

"He will." Sophie said turning to the Hitter. "I have to believe he will. I need him Eliot. I love him so much and Kate…Kate…"

"It's ok Sophie…it's ok…whatever happens we will be there, all of us and for as long as it takes…" Eliot told her. "You know how damn stubborn he is…he'll find his way back. There is no way he is not going to fight like hell to get back to you and Kate."

Sophie smiled and nodded wiping away the stray tear that rolled down her cheek. Then she turned back to the window placing her hand on the pane.

"Ok well it's arranged. The plane is on standby whenever the doctor gives the go ahead we can take him home." Hardison said as he joined the two of them.

"Where's Parker…?" Sophie suddenly said not having seen her for a while.

"Right here…" Parker said from behind her. She stood holding Kate.

"Mommy…" Kate said reaching out to Sophie.

"Hey baby…and what have you and Parker been up too?" She asked smiling at her daughter who had a face full of the remnants of the cupcake she had just consumed.

"We had cake…" Kate told her mother. "Chocolate cake..."

"That's nice." Sophie said wiping away the remaining crumbs.

"Is Daddy awake yet?" Kate asked her eyes falling on the figure of her father lying in the bed behind the windows.

"Not yet darling…" Sophie told her daughter running her hand through the little girls black curls.

"Why…? Why isn't he wake yet?"

"Well remember I told you your Daddy got hurt." Kate nodded at her. "Remember I told you that he needs to sleep so that he could get better?" Again Kate nodded. "Ok well your Daddy just needs to sleep a little bit longer so that he can get better ok…?"

"Ok…" Kate said softly putting her arms around her mother but keeping her eyes on her father.

"Well you know what Kate…we are going to go home tomorrow."

"Really…" Kate said her little voice full of excitement.

"Yes really." Sophie told her smiling.

"But…but I don't want to." Kate unexpectedly said grabbing her mother tightly.

"Kate…why…why don't you want to go home?" Sophie asked her voice full of concern.

"Because…because… if Daddy is sleeping…" Kate said uncertainly. She did not want to leave her father.

"Oh no baby…no we are not leaving your Daddy…" Sophie said suddenly realising that Kate was afraid she meant they were going to go home and leave her father here. "He is going to come home with us."

"Really…" Kate said her voice suddenly light and full of childish happiness.

"Yes really silly billy." Sophie told her hugging her tightly. "Now let's go see your Dad and then we can go back to the hotel and pack." She said moving a curl of hair out of Kate's face. Sophie had asked the doctor earlier if Kate could go in and see her father and he had given the go ahead.

Sophie carried her daughter into the room and walked up to Nate's bed. She could feel Kate retract slightly as they approached and she held her a little tighter. Then she sat down in a chair she had placed beside the bed with Kate on her lap. She reached out and put her hand on Nate's hand. They sat like that for a short while and then she felt a little hand resting on hers. She smiled and then moved her hand letting Kate's hand fall onto her fathers. Kate closed her hand around the edge of Nate's.

"I love you Daddy…" Kate whispered as she squeezed his hand.

"And your Daddy loves you Kate." Sophie said running her hand through her hair. "Now say goodbye and we will see him later. We have to go and pack."

"Ok…" Kate said then climbed up to stand on her mother's lap and leaning over as Sophie held her she kissed Nate's cheek. "Bye bye Daddy…sleep nicely and wake up soon." Kate told the unconscious man.

"Ok missy go wait with your Aunty Parker…" Sophie said putting the child down. Kate nodded and ran out the room and into Parker's arms. Sophie watched her go and then turned back to Nate.

"Sleep well my love…and wake up soon…" She repeated her daughters' words and then leaned in and kissed him gently. "Tomorrow we go home." She said running her hand over his forehead. Then she turned and left taking her daughter from Parker as they walked into the elevator.

"Look after him Eliot…" She said as the doors closed.

"Always…" Eliot said to the closed door.

Eliot was nervous. There had been no sign of Penelope since that visit, actually he had no solid proof it was Penelope at all but everything pointed to it being her. The woman had contacts and lots of them, she had a network that could help her make people disappear and if it had not been for Susan and her nefarious plans they would probably never found Sophie and Kate. He did not know what she planned to do but he knew she was obsessed with Nate. The question he had been asking himself was if her love had turned to hate and she meant him harm. Or if she still believed they could be together the only way that could happen is if she took him captive and held him that way and she was cleaver enough to know that. Or there was the scenario where she had lost it and had decided that if she could not have him then neither could Sophie and again that meant danger to Nate. So what did she want? Where was she and more importantly how and when was she going to make her move? They had to find her and they had to put an end to this. Then he focused on the sill figure of Nate and sighed. What if he never woke up…what was that going to do to Sophie and Kate, not to mention Parker and Hardison? He knew that Nate may never wake up, or might not wake for weeks, months or even years. That thought sent a shiver down his spine as he stared at the Mastermind.

"Well whatever she wants she is going to have to go through me to get it…" He told himself softly. Penelope Cowan had done enough damage to his family and he would not allow her to do any more.

**Thanks again for the reviews, please keep them coming as I really appreciate your feedback.**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The transport home had been painless and quick. Nate was taken up in Portland Memorial and the doctors there had said that he was doing well. In fact he was doing very well except for the fact that he had still not emerged from the coma. The doctors could not give Sophie a good reason for that, his wounds had healed well, his lung was working at full capacity and there were no residual effects from the gunshot at all. Nate should have woken days ago but it had been two weeks and the Mastermind remained comatose with no sign that he would emerge any time soon.

Penelope Cowan had still made no appearance. Bonnano had put out an APB on her but till so far there had been no success in locating her. All of them were on edge waiting for something to happen. Sophie spent her time between the hospital and her daughter. She had wanted to get Kate back into some sort of normal routine but taking her back to school under the circumstances was out of the question. Sophie and Kate were never alone with either Parker, Hardison or Eliot always with them keeping an eye on them. She and the others were also never without coms in just in case something happened. Maggie and Sterling had decided to remain in Portland until the situation was resolved. Sterling worked with Bonnano using every contact he had to try to locate Penelope. Maggie spent most of her time with Sophie and Kate.

Sophie sat beside Nate's bed. Maggie and Parker had taken Kate to the zoo for the morning and apart from Eliot who stood guard outside she was alone with Nate.

"You need to stop this and wake up Nate." She told him her hand wrapped around his and her thumb rubbing small circles on the back of his hand.

"I don't know what to do. You aren't waking up, Penelope Cowan is still out there and I don't know if she is going to come after me or Kate or…or you." Sophie said tears forming in her eyes.

She stared at him hoping to see some sign, something to tell her that he heard her but there was nothing. His chest moved showing her that he was breathing and the heart monitor told her his heart was beating strongly but other than that he may well have been dead. What if this was all she had left of him. What if he never woke up and never came back to her. Why had she decided to help that woman she asked herself? If she had just…if she had just kept her nose out of other peoples' business this would never have happened. They had retired; she should never have involved Nate. She should have gone to the team, had them help her, not Nate. Now look what had happened. She could have died, their daughter could have died and Nate lay here…Nate lay here like this and it was her fault. Her family were still in danger and all because she wanted to help a woman she barely knew. She had brought her into their lives and this was the result.

"Sophie…" Eliot said as he popped his head into the room to see the Grifter sobbing as she held Nate's limp hand. "Sophie…" He repeated softly entering the room to come and stand behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"This is my fault Eliot. I shouldn't have got him involved with that woman. I…"

"You were doing the right thing. You were doing what Nate taught us to do, you were doing what Nate would have done. You can't blame yourself for this. Nobody could have predicted that this woman would do what she did. Anyway if this is anybody's fault it's his…" Eliot said and that brought Sophie's tears to a halt as she froze at the allegation. Eliot smiled to himself slightly before continuing. "I mean if he weren't such a do-gooder always trying to help and if he wasn't such a gentleman, and if he hadn't tried to protect you and Kate by getting in front of that bullet and…"

"I get the point." Sophie stopped the Hitter. "It's just…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "What if he never wakes up Eliot?" She asked holding up her hand when she could see his denial of that happening coming. "We both know that is a real possibility, so don't even try to placate me."

"Ok. Well there is that possibility and I am not denying that at the moment it looks very possible that he could stay like this for a long time. But Sophie we don't know that, the doctors don't know and neither do you or I. The only one who has any control over that is him. He will wake up when he is good and ready to. As to what we do until then? Well first and foremost we make sure that you and Kate and him are safe, and until Penelope Cowan is caught and neutralised that means we do what we are doing now. After that…well we live our lives Sophie…that is what he would want and you and I know that. You have a daughter to think of." Eliot told her.

Sophie looked down on Nate and knew that every word Eliot had said was true. No matter what happened, she had a daughter to think of.

"Do you think she is going to come after any of us? Maybe it wasn't her, maybe…" Sophie sighed heavily. "It's been almost two weeks Eliot and nothing."

"I know…it worries me too." Eliot told her.

"So what…we live in fear for the rest of our lives…maybe we should just…I don't know go on as if there was nothing, maybe that is what she is waiting for and won't make her move until then."

"Hey…" Eliot said his eyes suddenly lighting up.

"What…what did I say?" Sophie asked him seeing he had definitely come up with something.

"She is waiting for something but what? I'll tell you what, for him to be alone, or you and Kate, whichever one she wants. She hasn't had a chance to do anything because you are never alone, never without one of us."

"_Now just wait one second there Spencer, I hope you are not suggesting what you are suggesting…" _The voice of James Sterling broke into their conversation.

"_You want us to leave Nate alone so that she can make her move…or Sophie or Kate…"_ Hardison chipped in his voice full of concern and disbelief that Eliot could make such a suggestion.

"Yeah that is exactly what I am suggesting." Eliot told them all. "Look guys I know it's risky but we will still be in control. None of them will ever be alone, just appear to be. We need to go back to normal, carry on with our lives. She doesn't know we know she is around or that she might be planning something. Now either we give her the chance she needs to show herself and do what she plans, or we can carry on like this, I'm telling you she will wait for as long as it takes."

"_I don't like it_." Maggie said.

"Neither do I Maggie but Eliot is right, we need to force her hand." Sophie told her. "We need her to make her move so that we can end this."

"_You're forgetting that this woman has mean, she has lots of contacts, lots of resources…if we give her an opening she might take it and she might succeed."_ Sterling countered.

"It's a risk but not much of one. Hardison you can take care of all the surveillance we will need here, Nate is not going anywhere, and between all of us and Hardison's gadgets we can watch Sophie and Kate as closely as if we were with them." Eliot elaborated.

"_I still don't like it, if something happens to Sophie and Kate, when Nate wakes up he is going to…I just don't like it."_ Maggie shook her head as she spoke looking at her husband who stood next to her.

"_Nor do I but Sophie and Eliot are right…"_ Sterling said grudgingly. Taking a chance with Nate's life he could live with but taking a chance with Sophie and Kate, Nate would never forgive any of them if something went wrong, hell his wife would never forgive him, but he knew they were right, it was the only way they were going to end this.

"So what do we do?" Sophie asked.

"Well first things first…" He said looking at Sophie seriously. "We go home now."

"But Hardison hasn't got anything…I mean he…"

"Don't you worry Hardison has had eyes on Nate since he got here right…?" Eliot asked and he could see the grin on Hardison's face and the words 'did you doubt me bro…' coming out of his mouth.

"Let's go Sophie, if we are going to do this we start now." Eliot said walking towards the door then turning and waiting for her.

Sophie turned back to the still figure of Nate.

"We aren't leaving you Nate…we will be here, right here with you watching you." She told him. "I will never leave you no matter what." She whispered to him as she put her face next to his. Then she kissed him lightly before turning and following Eliot out the room.

"He knows you'll never leave him you know…"

"I know it just feels so wrong, leaving him alone here. If he wakes up and…and he's alone…" Sophie said softly, it was her greatest fear, that she was not there when he woke up, that he would think she had abandoned him.

Sophie and Eliot left the hospital and headed back to Sophie's home where the others waited for them. Maggie and Parker had also left the zoo early and were headed back. Once there they quickly went through what would happen. First Kate would have to go back to school, resume her normal routine. Sophie would go back to the theatre. Eliot, Hardison and Parker would move out of Sophie's house and Maggie and Sterling would also make arrangements to travel back to LA where they currently resided, they had to make at least a show that they were leaving or planning to. It had to look like they had all resumed their normal lives, with the exception of course for the visits to the hospital which would be done during normal visiting hours, and only then.

"I hope this works Eliot"

"So do I Sterling…so do I." Eliot said heavily, if something went wrong, if anybody got hurt or anything happened to Nate, Sophie or Kate, he would never forgive himself, but in spite of his fears he knew this was the way they were going to get Penelope, probably the only way.

**So will Penelope make her appearance and who will she be after? Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Two days passed and nothing happened. Nobody came near Nate or Sophie or Kate. Tensions were rising and everybody was on edge.

"When is she going to make her move?" Sophie asked as she took her seat on the sofa beside Parker. It had been a long day and she had just put Kate to sleep.

"I don't know. I thought she would have made her move already. Everything is back to normal."

"Maybe it wasn't her. Maybe…maybe you were wrong Eliot." Sophie said. She wanted this to be over. She wanted to be with Nate and not just look at him on a screen and only see him for a half hour every day.

"Maybe…"

"Bonnano still hasn't had a hit on her whereabouts." Hardison told the group. "I mean if it wasn't her why did she disappear?"

"Maybe she didn't want to go to prison for kidnapping." Parker said.

"Look we are all tired and frustrated. Let's just give it a few more days." Eliot said.

"And then what…if she doesn't appear then what Eliot?" Sophie asked him.

"Then I don't know…"

"Well that is not good enough Eliot. That's not good enough. Nate is lying there and he still hasn't woken up. Kate is having nightmares and wakes up crying and I…" Sophie drew in a deep breath trying hard to fight back the tears that swam in her eyes. "I can't anymore. I want my husband and my family back…I need them back." She said her frustration spilling over as her pitch rose.

"I know. Don't you think I know that? I'm trying everything ok, I don't know where she is and I don't know what she wants." Eliot said his frustration levels rising as fast as Sophie's.

"Ok…ok guys." Hardison said but before he could say anything else the alarm on his computer started screaming. Hardison was immediately up and at the computer.

"What's happening…Hardison…?" Sophie asked anxiously.

"I don't know…something is going on with Nate." Hardison said pressing the button that threw the image of Nate's room on the screen.

"Oh my God…" Sophie said her hand flying to her mouth as she watched in horror at the scene that was playing out.

There was chaos in the room. Doctors and nurses were swarming around Nate's bed and it was obvious that the Mastermind was in distress. They watched in shock as the doctors worked on Nate and then after five minutes all activity ceased.

"Nate…oh God no…" Sophie said closing her eyes and burying her face in her hands.

"What…what just happened…?" Parker asked not wanting to believe what she had just witnessed. Hardison said nothing. His hands hung at his side and tears formed in his eyes as he stared at the screen.

Eliot moved over to Sophie and sat down beside the woman wrapping an arm around her.

"Don't you dare…don't touch me…" Sophie said standing up and moving away from the Hitter. Her eyes blazed at him full of anger and grief. "You…he was alone Eliot…he was alone and he…"

"Sophie…"

"Don't Eliot, I will never…never forgive you for this…not ever." She said then turned to Parker. "Take care of my daughter." She told her then stormed to the door grabbing her car keys as she went.

"Sophie you can't drive…let me…"

"I don't want you with me." Sophie said as she left slamming the door behind her.

"Parker…" Eliot said turning to the Thief. They were all in shock but Parker could handle it better than Hardison and he was not in question. "Don't let her drive…I'll take care of Kate."

Parker nodded and ran to the door getting outside just as Sophie got to the car. She moved herself between Sophie and the driver's side door and held out her hand not saying a word. Sophie stared at the young woman her body tense ready to fight. Then her shoulders slumped and she handed her the keys and made her way to the passenger's side. Parker took the keys and climbed into the car. She waited for Sophie to get in and close the door before setting off for the hospital. On the way Sophie received the call giving her the news she already knew. Parker drove in silence as Sophie sat staring out the window. She was numb, she wanted to scream and shout and curse but she couldn't. All she could think of was that she was not with him, he was alone in a hospital a place he hated, a place that... She had failed him in his time of most need. She did not cry, she did not say a word. They reached the hospital in under five minutes and the two women made their way up to the floor Nate's room was on. The door to his room was closed when they got there. Sophie stood at the door and took a deep breath before throwing the door open. The room was deathly silent, the monitors quiet. Sophie stood at the door and stared at the bed.

"Mrs Ford…" A nurse said making Sophie jump slightly at the sound of her voice. "I am so sorry. Please, take all the time you need."

Sophie did not acknowledge the nurse, she stood staring at the covered body in the bed. The white bed sheets had been pulled up over the head and she could not see him. Parker stood behind her but did not move. Sophie eventually walked hesitantly into the room and up to the side of the bed. Parker stayed at the door watching the older woman. Sophie stood at the bed and stared down at the white sheet. She was afraid of pulling the sheet back but she had to see him, she needed to see him. Taking a deep shaky breath she reached out and took the edge of the sheet holding it gently. Then she pulled it down slightly, away from the still figure, exposing the head and face. On seeing him she almost collapsed but Parker had moved silently into the room to stand behind her. She caught the older woman steadying her. Sophie reached out and placed her hand on the cheek of the man lying on the bed.

"How could you Nate…how could you leave me…I'm so sorry, God I am so sorry…" She said not knowing what to feel, her emotions conflicted running from anger at Nate for dying and leaving her and her daughter alone to guilt for not being with him when he had passed.

Parker stood ready to support Sophie, although she was in numb with shock, she knew it was her duty to take care of the older woman so she pushed her emotions aside and locked them away. Sophie wept inconsolably as she held Nate's limp hand. Then she leaned over the dead man and placed her lips on his running her hand down the side of his face. Then she stood up and pulled the sheet back up and over him. What was she going to tell her daughter? How did she tell Kate she would never see her father again, never play with him, never have another story read to her by him…Sophie felt her knees buckle and then everything went black. Parker caught her and lifted her easily into her arms. She carried her to the one comfortable chair in the room and placed her gently in it. Then she looked up and into the cameras she knew were placed in the room her eyes full of grief.

"Is she alright?" the nurse who had spoken to them earlier asked as she entered the room.

"She…she collapsed." Parker told the nurse looking down at Sophie then at the nurse.

"It must be a shock. He was doing well, his vitals were good and then..." The nurse said checking Sophie out as she spoke. "I'm going to move her to a room where we can lie her down." The nurse said looking to Parker for permission. Parker nodded consent.

Within minutes the nurse returned to the room with a gurney and another nurse. Together they lifted the Grifter onto the gurney and wheeled her out of the room with Parker. Parker watched them hesitant to leave Nate but knowing she should not leave Sophie alone. She decided that going with Sophie is what she had to do so she quickly followed them. Once they had placed Sophie into the bed and covered her with a blanket the nurse told Parker that she would send in a doctor to check the Grifter out and prescribe her something for the shock. Parker nodded numbly then pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down taking Sophie hand and unable to hold her grief in any more she wept.

In Nate's room the nurse signed the body over to the two men who were there to take the body down to the morgue. An autopsy would have to be performed. The man should not have died. There was no sign of anything physically wrong with him apart from the coma. His heart was strong yet he had gone into cardiac arrest. The men loaded the body onto the gurney and wheeled it out of the room. The nurse watched them go and shook her head. It was always difficult to lose a patient, but even more so when there seemed no logical reason for the patient dying. She knew that life was fragile, she had been a nurse long enough to know that, but this was one of those cases where she had been caught unawares by the sudden and unexpected turn of events. Then she noticed the appearance of the two men who had been almost constantly with Nate until two days ago. She frowned slightly at that thought. The patient had not been left alone for one minute and then suddenly everybody had disappeared and only visited for a brief time during visiting hours. She shook of the thought and approached the two men.

"If you are looking for Mrs Ford, she collapsed and she is in the room two doors down." She told them.

"Thank you…" Eliot said then fixed his eyes on Nate's room.

"They have taken him down to the morgue." She told him. "I can ask the coroner if you can view the body if you want to."

"Thank you…I…I would like to see him." Eliot said his voice hitching with emotion.

"Ok…I'll arrange it." She said then left them alone.

"You go in Hardison…" Eliot told the Hacker as they walked over to the room the nurse had indicated Sophie had been taken too. "She doesn't want to see me."

"Eliot she was just in shock. She didn't mean what she said." Hardison told the Hitter.

"Yeah…but right now she doesn't need any added tension. I'll just wait out here." He said. "She's going to ask about Kate…"

"Don't worry, she'll be alright with Nancy looking after her." Hardison said. They had called the babysitter that Nate and Sophie often used. Both of them had wanted to come to the hospital, Hardison to be there for Parker and Sophie and Eliot because he needed to see Nate, and he wanted to make sure that they were all alright, even if Sophie had made it clear she did not want him around her right now.

"Hardison I am going down to the morgue." Eliot told the Hacker through the coms.

"Ok…Sophie is awake again, she wants to go home to Kate."

"Fine…I'll see you there later." Eliot said. "Take care of her Hardison."

"You don't have to tell me man." Hardison said and Eliot could hear the grief in his voice.

Eliot made his way down to the belly of the hospital. He walked towards the door marked 'Morgue' and then stopped in front of the door. He stood for a few minutes just staring at the door. He had seen many dead bodies before but this was different. This was his friend, more than just a friend. This was a man he admired before all others. This was a man he had failed, a man who had put his trust in him and he had let him down. He had sworn he would keep them safe, all of them until his dying day and he had failed. He shook his head trying to fight back the emotions that were welling inside of him. He knew if he found Penelope Cowan he would kill her. To hell with not being that man anymore…He shook his head pushing aside the anger and the pain and the grief that flooded over him. He reached out and pushed the door open and walked into the room. It was quiet and deserted which Eliot found slightly odd. Then a man emerged from a door to the side of the large room.

"I'm sorry who are you?" The man asked. Eliot took in his clothing and his badge that identified him as the coroner.

"My name is Eliot Spenser and I need to see Nate Ford's body." Eliot told him.

"Who…?" The coroner asked not recognising the name. He had seen enough grief- stricken people to know that this man had lost somebody close to him although he tried very hard to hide it.

"Nathan Ford." Eliot told him. "He passed away about half an hour ago in the hospital…cardiac arrest."

"I'm sorry you must be mistaken." The coroner said. "I have received no bodies in the last two hours."

"You what…No…I…" Eliot said stunned by what the coroner was saying. He had not received a body…that was not possible. "He was brought down…he…"

"Look Mister Spenser I don't know who told you that but they must have been mistaken." The coroner repeated.

"_Nate's not there…?"_ Hardison asked as confused as Eliot was as he listened to the conversation.

"Penelope…" Eliot breathed out. "She made her move…"

**Where is Nate and was it Penelope that took him? What state is he in and what do they want to do with him? Will the team be able to find him? Thanks to everybody for reading and taking the time to review, all reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Eliot turned and quickly moved out of the morgue then came to a full stop as he stepped into the hall.

"Eliot…" The tall sturdily built man who stood between two others of similar build and stature.

"Hardison…get to Kate now and get them to Bonnano." Eliot said bending his head slightly away from the three men in front of him. Then he looked up and smiled a hard tight smile. "Conrad…"

"I'm sorry about this…" He said lifting a gun and pointing it at the Hitter's chest.

"I'm sure…" Eliot said assessing his chances of taking Conrad before he pulled the trigger. Then there were the other two men who flanked him to deal with. Eliot relaxed slightly then, there was no chance, the hallway was narrow and the distance between them to great. "You had to bring two helpers I see."

Conrad smiled at Eliot and shook his head slightly.

"I know you Eliot. You might be out of the game, but you are still Eliot Spenser. I never thought I would be the one to finish you though." Conrad said. He had worked with Eliot years ago, they had partied together and they had killed together and he respected the man, but business was business and he had been paid to end him and that was what he would do.

Eliot narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the man's movements. He had to try because his family needed him and he had to try. He tensed slightly as Conrad raised his gun and put his finger in the trigger guard.

"You know Conrad I could better any offer you have." Eliot said trying to distract the man as much as he could. "Fix figures…"

Conrad smiled again. "You know better than that Eliot. I took the job, now I will finish it." He said aiming the weapon.

Everything happened in an instant then. Eliot moved throwing himself forward and keeping low. He felt the bullet hit him in the shoulder slowing his movement slightly but then he was on Conrad, knocking the man sideways as he ploughed into him. The two men with Conrad were taken by surprise at Eliot's sudden movement but recovered quickly. Eliot pushed himself up of the ground pulling out one of the knives in his holster swinging his arm around and sinking the weapon into the gut of the one goon before swinging around and pulling the second knife in the same movement flicking it expertly. The knife flew true burying itself into the chest of the second oncoming goon. Then Eliot turned around to face Conrad who had recovered from the knock Eliot had given him. He stood straight and looked at Eliot who was leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. Then he cast his eyes on his two companions who lay unmoving on either side of the Hitter.

"You haven't lost your touch." Conrad said softly.

"You have." Eliot hissed.

Conrad's eyes narrowed and he eyed the gun lying between himself and his target, exactly where it had fallen when Eliot knocked him down. Then he looked back at Eliot who was still leaning against the wall. He could see his shirt was now soaked in blood from where the bullet had hit him. He could see that the man had very little left to give and fancied his chances of taking him. He moved slightly forward and smiled at Eliot.

"Let's play…" He said as he moved.

Eliot pushed himself of the wall and threw himself forward sliding along the slick floor his hand outstretched. Conrad's eyes widened slightly at the move, he had not expected that. He expected Eliot to come at him directly and an instant before the bullet pierced him in the centre of the forehead he cursed himself for a damn fool. Conrad stood for an instant before crumbling bonelessly to the floor.

"_Eliot…Eliot…"_ Hardison's anxious voice came over the coms. _"Eliot talk to me…"_

"Do you have Kate…?" Eliot gritted out as he felt the darkness start to creep over him. "She's going to come for you…get to Bonnano…" Eliot said his voice weak but urgent.

"_We are coming…"_

"Dammit Hardison…get…to…Bonnano…" Eliot hissed out with all the strength he had left.

"Eliot…Eliot…dammit Eliot." Hardison shouted as he drove on towards the police station where they would find Bonnano. The com was silent and he felt his chest tighten as he realised that Eliot may be dead. He wanted to veer off and speed towards the hospital but he knew he had to get Sophie and Kate to safety and that was with Bonnano.

Sophie clung to her daughter in the back of the car as Hardison sped on. She had heard everything and now Eliot may be dead. Parker's eyes were dark and hard as she too realised that they may have lost their Hitter. Her eyes however were fixed on the mirrors watching for any sign that they were being followed. When they had got to the house they had found it quiet and everything was normal. Sophie had thanked Natalie for taking care of Kate and then sent her home after paying her for her work. That was when Hardison had got the word from Eliot to go. They were all still reeling from the revelation that Nate's body was not in the morgue and that Penelope had orchestrated the whole thing. Sophie quickly grabbed the sleeping child wrapping her in a blanked and moving quickly back out of the house and to the car. Parker followed keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of company. Hardison climbed into the drivers' seat with Parker riding shotgun. He started the car and sped off.

"I think we have company…" Parker told him as they turned into the corner into the main street.

"Sophie you and Kate stay down." Hardison ordered and floored the accelerator.

The car behind them sped up too as Sophie spoke to Bonnano telling him what was happening and where they were. She had Kate pinned beneath her on the back seat protecting the little girl. The car that was following them sped up and was getting perilously close when suddenly the back window shattered sending glass flying into the back seat and over Sophie.

"They are shooting at us…" Hardison said as he swing the car around another corner the tail for the vehicle fishtailing.

"You think…" Parker said turning around to watch the following car come around the corner. "Sophie…"

"We're fine…" Sophie said still covering her daughter with her body. She could feel her daughter squirm beneath her and she knew the child was terrified. "It's ok Kate just lie still ok…just lie still for Mommy."

Sophie could hear sirens in the background and knew that Bonnano had sent help. They just had to keep out of touch of their pursuers until the police had time to catch up to them. Another bullet whistled past embedding itself in the bodywork of the car. Then another one passed right through shattering the front windscreen and causing Hardison to veer left as the glass flew out. Just when he thought that he was not going to be able to get them to safety two police cars appeared in front of him. He steered the vehicle between the two as they sped past and directly at the car chasing them. The lead police car swung around in front of the oncoming vehicle which in turn slammed on brakes. The second police vehicle hit the brakes too and stopped at an angle to the first blocking the way forward. The chasing car came to a halt and then reversed out with wheels spinning throwing up smoke as the driver swung it around and then sped off. The officers from both cars did not attempt to follow, they instead turned and ran to the car holding Sophie and the others. They were under instructions to protect the people in that car and get them to safety and that was what they were going to do.

"Mrs Ford…" One of the officers called out as they approached the vehicle. "Captain Bonnano sent us to get you all to safety." He continued, he did not know if the people in the vehicle were armed but they were being chased and he did not want to get shot trying to help.

"Thank you…" Sophie said emerging from the car with a crying child in her arms.

"Come quickly." The man said motioning them all towards the patrol cars.

Sophie and the others quickly climbed into the car and they set off to the station. Sophie was trying to soothe Kate and Hardison and Parker not relaxing for a second, their eyes scanning the road ahead and behind them watchful for any possible danger. They had seated themselves on either side of Sophie protecting her from exposure to the windows of the car. Nobody followed though and they pulled into the protected basement parking where they were met by Bonnano.

"You have to get to the hospital…" Sophie told him urgently as she climbed out the car.

"I have two officers there now. We were notified by the coroner of the incident with Eliot."

"Is he…"

"No, he took a bullet and is in surgery now." Bonnano told her. "My people will let me know what is happening and they will stay there to make sure he is safe. Now let's get you upstairs." He told them.

"Parker you're bleeding…" Hardison said turning to the Thief and seeing for the first time that her arm was soaked in blood.

"It's just a flesh wound…I'll be fine." Parker assured him. She had hardly noticed the wound until then. One of the bullets from their attackers must have grazed her.

"We can have that looked at once we are in the office." Bonnano said. He would feel much better once he had the four of them safely ensconced in their offices. Hardison nodded and putting his hand on Parker's back steered her towards the waiting elevator.

**Thank you all so much for the great reviews for the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this one too…sorry for the little cliffhanger….**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Nate…oh Naaate…" Penelope Cowan said as she stood by the bedside of the Mastermind and stroked his hair gently. "Time to wake up Nate…" She crooned.

Nate felt the heavy pall of blackness that had been laid on him start to lift. He fought to bring himself to the surface his eyes fluttered as he tried to wake from the deep sleep he had been in.

"Nate…come on Nate open your eyes now…" Penelope told him.

"Sophie…" He murmured thinking it was his wife that drew him up towards the light once more.

Penelope's expression darkened and her soft hand turned hard as she grabbed Nate's hair and pulled his head up.

"Wake up Nate…" Penelope hissed at him tightening her grip on his curls. Then she let go and Nate's head fell back onto the pillow.

Nate struggled and eventually his eyes cracked open. Immediately he closed them again as the bright light in the room pierced them.

"That's it Nate…wakey, wakey…" Penelope said leaning over the man and kissing him gently on the lips.

Nate moved his head slightly pulling away from her as best he could. He opened his eyes and looked up at the woman who towered over him. He tried to lift his hand but found he could not.

"Penelope…what…" Nate tried to get out as he recognised the woman and his heart rate at the knowledge of who it was that had him at their mercy. His voice was rough and hard. His throat was dry and parched and he was finding it difficult to get the words out.

"Where are you…why am I here…?" Penelope finished his question for him.

Nate nodded and then lifted his head to look down at himself. His arms were restrained at his sides. He could feel that legs too were restrained, he was completely immobilised.

"It's for you own good…" Penelope told him and then put her hand on his cheek and ran it down cupping his face. "You are too weak to get up and I know how stubborn you are…" She smiled at him. "Besides you can use this time to think about what you did…to me." She said stroking his cheek gently as she spoke. "You sent me away Nate…you…you abandoned me when you said you wouldn't."

"Where is Sophie…where is my wife and daughter?" Nate said fear building up in him as the effects of the drugs started to wear off and he started to remember something of what had happened. He pulled at the restraints as he tried to move.

"If you do that you are going to hurt yourself." Penelope said her voice going hard and cold again. "I can see you are not ready to talk yet." She said then turned away from him.

"No…no Penelope please…please…" Nate said as she stepped towards the door. He needed to know what had happened to Sophie and Kate and the others, he had to know. She stopped briefly at hearing his plea smiling to herself before turning around.

"Later Nate…we will talk later. You need time to think, to consider what you have done and to realise that it is time to start again…When you are ready to do that…then we can talk." Penelope told him moving closer to the bed again and reaching out to Nate.

Instinctively Nate pulled away from her touch and she scowled at him and pulled her hand away.

"Your lovely wife and daughter are part of your past Nate. I didn't want to do this but you left me no choice. Sophie and Kate are gone along with your other…" She paused and smiled at him. "Other family…you are alone Nate." She said then reached out and put her hand on his cheek again. "I am your only family now…now and forever." She said rubbing her hand gently down his face. "It's all right darling…you'll see, when you think about it you will see…"

Nate stared at her his heart racing as he thought about what she was saying. Had she killed them, all of them? He tried desperately to remember what had happened but his last memory was of seeing Sophie's back as she shielded their child from the man who had bought Kate. He remembered nothing after that. He had no idea how long ago that was. He did not know where he was or what had happened but one thing was sure, he was at the mercy of this woman and for now there was nothing he could do about it. He lay back in the bed and closed his eyes.

"I will bring in your breakfast later." Penelope told him. "I have some errands to run…" She said moving her hand to rest on his head. "Be good Nate…and don't go anywhere." Then she turned and walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

Nate's eyes flew open as he heard the door close. He strained to raise himself slightly so that he could survey the room he was in. It was a nice room, large and airy. There was a television on the wall opposite his bed and two overstuffed sofas against the wall. Next to his bed was a large comfortable chair. Looking down at the bed he was restrained in he could tell it was a hospital bed with its rails drawn up. The restraints on his wrists were soft but tight. Like the ones used in hospitals to restrain difficult patients, his legs were splayed to either side of the bed and restrained. He let his head fall back onto the pillow breathing heavily at the effort. His muscles ached and his head was swimming. She had drugged him that much was obvious to him but for how long? The windows of the room had large heavy black curtains hanging which blocked out the sun. He was not sure if it was night or day, but Penelope had said breakfast so it must be morning. Again he thought back and tried to remember. He had confronted Johnston and his wife had brought Kate into the room. He remembered watching the reunion between mother and child and then the warning from Eliot. Then he remembered a pain in his back and the realisation that he had been shot. He had tried to say something to reach out to Sophie, he remembered falling and hearing Kate scream for 'Daddy' and then everything was a blank.

Nate replayed Penelope's words in his head. She had said his wife and child and his other family too. Had she gone after all of them? Had she killed all of them? No…he told himself shaking his head slightly. No…she was lying to him, just like she had before. They were all safe and well. He had to believe that. He swallowed hard, his throat sore and raw. He was still connected to a drip but he was not sure exactly what was being pumped into him. He sighed heavily. There was nothing he could do right now. He could feel his eyes growing heavier again as he was drawn back towards the darkness. He looked up at the bag hanging from the IV stand beside his bed and noticed that there was a smaller one also connected. The regulator in the middle of the stand showed that one of the lines was regulated; only set to dispense its contents at certain times. That must be a drug, a sedative she had used something to keep him incapacitated. He wondered how long she had had him as his vision started to get hazy and he could feel the irresistible pull of sleep.

"Sophie…" He whispered as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

**So Penelope has Nate and is keeping him captive and drugged. Will they be able to find him? What will she do when she realised she failed to eliminate Sophie and the others? Will she try again? Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming.**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Ok well Eliot is fine. He came through surgery with flying colours." Bonnano told them as he entered the room he had allocated to them after they had come into the station house three hours ago.

"So what do we do now?" Hardison asked.

"We find her." Parker said with certainty.

"And how do we do that?" Sophie asked. "Eliot is in the hospital with a gunshot wound. Nate…"

"Nate is officially deceased. The doctor signed his death certificate." Bonnano told them.

"No…no…it was a set up…Penelope planned it. I don't know how but…We have to find him." Sophie

"Sophie we have to be logical about this. Nate died. I am sorry..." Bonnano said. "My main concern is to keep you and his daughter safe. Now it is obvious Penelope is going after Nate's family and that includes all of you. I owe it to the man to make sure she does not succeed."

"He is not dead." Sophie repeated.

"Sophie that could be true, or he could be dead and all of that is irrelevant right now." Bonnano said not backing down when he saw the wrath in her eyes at his words. "We find Penelope and we find Nate, dead or alive."

"He has to be alive, why else would she take him…?" Parker asked.

"I don't know Parker, obviously the woman is deranged. But like I said it makes no difference."

"Fine…"Sophie said. She was sure he was alive and no matter what Bonnano said or thought she refused to believe he was dead. He was right anyway, it was immaterial, find Penelope and they would find Nate.

"Ok…" Bonnano said. "So now we have to find Penelope Cowan and from our experience that is not going to be easy. Until then you are all under protective custody…I need to keep you all safe."

"You want us to stay here?" Parker asked him incredulously. "You want us to stay here while that woman has Nate?"

"Parker, she has obviously decided to take out all of you and I need to be able to ensure your safety, the only way I can do that is for you all to stay right here.'

"Well that isn't going to happen." Hardison said moving to stand beside Parker.

"No…I don't suppose it is." Bonnano sighed. He knew he was never going to make that fly but he had to try. He had no idea how he was going to locate Penelope, or how he was going to protect any of them from her but he knew he had to try. "Can we at least agree that Sophie and Kate remain here and before you say anything Sophie…" Bonnano said locking eyes with the Grifter. "That is non-negotiable. Kate may have lost her father, she is not going to lose her mother as well, not on my watch."

"Or mine…" Sterling said as he strode into the room after listening to Bonnano's speech. "Sophie, Hardison, Parker…" He said nodding to them.

"Sterling…" Sophie greeted him and then hugged his wife who and entered with him.

"Where's Kate?" Maggie asked pulling away from her friend.

"Oh…she's in the media room watching some television." Sophie told her.

"Well I have reviewed the tapes from the hospital. Nate's….Nate was taken down to the Morgue but he never got there, he was intercepted here…" Hardison said freezing the frame on the computer, "When the two men veered off towards the parking area." He said then fast forwarding he showed them load the body of Nate into a van outside the back of the hospital.

"I have an APB out on the van." Bonnano said.

"Right then we tracked the van down by traffic cams until here…" Hardison said stopping the computer again. "Then we lose it. The cameras in this area here are not working…or rather they were rendered useless, they knew we would be looking for them."

"Right…and Penelope must have known we would immediately find out Nate had been taken. She knew it because she never even tried to substitute the body to continue the lie." Sterling said. "If Eliot had not warned you her people would have taken you all off guard and…"

"Yeah ok, so she planned this to the tee." Hardison agreed.

"So we come back to the original question…what do we do now?" Sophie asked.

"Well drawing her out is not going to work this time. I am quite sure she knows you know so she is going to be cautious." Sterling said.

"But…but what if…what if she leaves us be now and just keeps Nate…I mean he is the one she wanted and now she has him." Parker said her voice faltering as she spoke. They may never find Nate…they may never know if he is alive or not. This woman was skilled and she was conniving and as much as she hated to even think it, she might never be found.

"Then we have to make her come after us." Eliot said as he stumbled out of the elevator.

"What the…" Bonnano said catching the Hitter and steadying him. "You only got out of surgery an hour ago."

"Yeah…" Eliot said smiling at the man as he helped him to a chair. "Well, I feel fine and I am needed here not there."

"Eliot…"

"I'm fine Sophie really." Eliot reassured her. Sophie eyed him speculatively then decided arguing was not going to do any good. There was no way Eliot Spenser was going to lie in a hospital room, not while they were in danger and Nate was missing.

"Ok, so how do we make her come after us?" Parker asked. She was just as concerned about Eliot but knew, maybe better than any of them, what Eliot was capable of.

"I don't know." Eliot admitted. Getting the woman to pursue them would depend on what she wanted to do. Eliot was fairly convinced that she was determined to eliminate them all, especially Sophie. If they were going to get her to show herself, it would mean Sophie being the bait for it.

"Well it's me she wants…"

"We discussed this Sophie." Bonnano interrupted her.

"Sophie s right..." Eliot said surprising Bonnano, Sterling and Maggie but not phasing the three members of their team. "If Penelope is going to make a move again it's going to be against Sophie. She sees her as a threat to her future with Nate."

"We don't even know that Nate is alive at this point." Bonnano said not happy that they were willing to risk the Grifter's life.

"He's alive." Eliot said with confidence. "There is no way she would be doing this if he weren't. I mean think about it…" Eliot said turning to the policeman. "Why had Nate remained comatose, perplexing even the doctors? Then when we aren't around all the time, he mysteriously has a heart attack, again against all medical logic. I don't think so. I asked the doctors to test the medicine Nate had been getting and guess what they found?"

"A sedative…" Sterling said softly.

"That's right. A very powerful one that would have kept Nate in a coma all this time, she must have had somebody administering it..." Eliot confirmed. "Hardison you need to check out every person who dealt with Nate in the hospital, we need to know who was on the payroll."

The Hacker nodded in response.

"She deliberately did that, and then made her move to get him out of the hospital. She knew our grief and shock would give her time to get Nate out of the hospital and away before we even knew what was happening. She had Conrad waiting for me and the others for you at home."

"So… it was meticulously planned." Sophie concluded. "We can be sure her hiding place is the same, she will be well insulated."

"Right…we don't have a hope of finding her…" Eliot said. "The only way we are going to get to her is to get her to make another move."

"You think she will…I mean she has what she wants, why risk us finding her?" Parker asked.

"Well…if she thought Sophie knew where she was…Or that she had any way of finding out." Eliot said.

"And how do you plan to do that Spenser?" Sterling asked seeing where Eliot was going with this.

"That depends on if Hardison can catch our hospital cohort." Eliot said looking at Hardison. "If…"

"When…" Hardison interrupted him.

"When…" Eliot said smiling at his friend. "When Hardison finds out who… Sophie will make her move. Subtly enough that the person goes to her employer with news that Sophie suspects her or him."

"It's a plan…" Sterling said contemplating the plan Eliot had laid out. He knew the team well enough to know that Hardison will more than likely find out who was doing the drugging and he had no doubt at all that Sophie could pull of the Grifting part. What he did not like is the exposure to Sophie herself.

"It's the only plan that has a chance." Eliot said. He knew he was going to put Sophie in danger again, but there was no other way, besides between all of them he was sure they could keep Sophie safe.

"If Nate…" Maggie said then drew a deep breath before carrying on. "If we are wrong and Nate actually did die…and you go ahead with this plan and something goes wrong and Sophie…then Kate will have lost both parents."

"Maggie…"

"No Sophie Maggie has a point." Bonnano said happy that somebody else had serious reservations.

"Look it's a chance, but consider this." Parker said casting her eyes over the entire group. "If Nate was dead, then she would be coming after us anyway, she would not stop until all of us were dead because that were be her ultimate goal. We all, including Sophie would be in constant danger and you would never be able to protect us forever. If Nate is not dead, then she might not be interested in us anymore, but she will be determined to keep him to herself."

"Parker is right." Sophie said. It was her life they would be risking and she knew she was going to be putting herself in the line of fire. She knew she had to think of Kate too, and as Maggie had pointed out the girl might lose both her parents. But there was no other way, the risk was worth the reward because in her heart she was sure that Nate was alive. "Hardison find me a mark…" She said then before anybody could argue with her she turned to go and spend time with her daughter as the others did their work.

The others watched her go. Bonnano frowning after her as she walked away. He did not like it at all, but he had no say, the others were determined to do this and he was determined to help, he was determined to make sure Sophie came through this unscathed.

**So will their plan work? Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews they are so greatly appreciated. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter too.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Two days later found them all in a house Sterling had had the group moved to. It was an Interpol safe house. He was not sure how secure the local police were and although Bonnano wanted to fight him he could not for certain say that Penelope did not have contacts in the Portland State Police. They had all taken turns surveying the tapes and none of them had spotted anything.

Hardison spent the better part of the two days meticulously going over the surveillance tapes from the hospital. He was checking his own that he had installed to keep an eye on Nate, as well as the cameras the hospital had set up. He had found nothing. Nobody had particularly spent time with Nate, not a nurse or a doctor…nobody had tampered with the IV bags or the line itself. He had received injections but never from the same nurse or doctor multiple times. "Dammit…" Eliot said his frustration building as the hours and days passed.

"If we can't find this person we have nothing do we…:?" Sophie asked.

"Nothing…" Eliot confirmed through gritted teeth.

"Ok…so we go over it again." Parker said.

"Girl…there isn't anything there man…" Hardison told her. He did not want to give up but he had gone over the footage frame by frame, moment by moment and he would swear on his life, on her life, that there was nothing.

"So what are you saying…we just give up?" Parker asked him her voice turning cold.

Hardison stared at her and then looked at the group as a whole. The tension in the house had been building and he could tell they were all nearly at breaking point. If they did not come up with something soon, something was going to give.

"No…no girl, I'm not saying that at all…" Hardison said taking her hand. "I'm just saying that if Nate was being drugged then they were damn good at covering their tracks…"

"Maybe they weren't…" Maggie suddenly said as she stood with her husband listening to them talk.

"What do you mean…I didn't miss anything…" Hardison said thinking maybe she had spotted something he had missed and mortified at the thought.

"No…no…Hardison listen, it doesn't matter who hung the bags, or who gave the injections, it's the person who prepared them that we are looking for." Maggie elaborated.

"The pharmacist…" Hardison said suddenly understanding her meaning.

"Yes…of course…they fetch the bags from the pharmacy…they get the drugs…Dammit…" Hardison said quickly getting to work.

The others all tried not to push him although he could feel their eyes on him as he ran the relevant tapes from the hospitals own surveillance cameras.

"I got it…" Hardisons said after about half an hour, brining all of their attention to him. They all crowded round him. This was not his place or Leverage International so he could not throw the footage onto a screen on the wall, they only had his small screen and all of them tried to get a look at the image on it.

On the screen was the image of a middle aged woman who stood behind the counter of the hospital dispensary.

"Who is she?" Sophie asked.

"Well this is Barbara Post. She has been working at the hospital for seven years as a pharmacist."

"Why her…?" Sterling asked.

"Because…." Hardison said manipulating the mouse and running the footage through stopping it every few minutes.

"So she dished out medicine…that is what she does…" Bonnano said.

"True…but…" Hardison said zooming in on the IV bag the woman was handing over to a nurse.

"Nathan Ford…" Parker read the marking on the bag.

"Right…and here…" He fast forwarded the footage and then stopped zooming in again.

"Nate's again." Parker confirmed.

"Right…" Hardison said.

"Ok…so she could be the one who had supplied the medicine." Bonnano said.

"Or not..." Sterling said putting a damper on their burgeoning excitement.

"Yes Sterling you are right we could be wrong, she could be completely innocent." Sophie said turning to the Interpol agent. "But it's a chance and I for one am going to take it." Sophie said trying to control her anger at all the negativity that was being thrown out by the two policemen.

"Well we've got nothing to lose." Maggie concurred.

"So…?" Hardison asked.

"So is she on duty now?" Sophie asked Hardison.

"No…but I have her address." Hardison told her.

"Even better…" Sophie said.

"Maggie…"

"I'll stay here and take care of Kate." Maggie told the Hitter as Sophie left the room to go and say goodbye to her daughter.

"Ok this is only stage one but we have to be ready to go as soon as Hardison traces that call."

"If she makes one…" Bonnano added.

"Oh she'll make one. Sophie will ensure that." Parker told him.

"No what I mean is she may not make a call she may just get in her car and go. We need to be ready for that too." Bonnano told the blonde woman.

He did not for a moment doubt that if this woman was involved Sophie would get her so worried that she would do something. That maybe one of three things…either she phones her employer, if she had her number, or she gets in her car and drives to see her employer if she knows where she is and Bonnano doubted that. The last option is that she just runs. That would not be ideal because then all their work would have been for nothing and they would be back as square one. She had to do either the first or the second.

"So we go in different cars. Hardison you drive Sophie in the van…you need your equipment." Sterling said picking up on Bonnano's meaning. "Eliot and Parker, you go together and Pat and I will cover as well. That way if she goes we have her covered."

"Sounds good..." Eliot agreed.

"Ready…?" Sophie asked coming back into the room.

"Ready." They all said almost simultaneously. Hardison handed them each an earbud.

"You be careful Sophie…" Maggie said hugging her friend.

All of them made for the door with Sterling hanging back slightly.

"You be careful too." Maggie told her husband as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I will be…" He smiled at her and then gave her kiss before following the others out. "Keep the door locked, nobody comes in." He was sure that Penelope did not know where they were, but Maggie was going to be alone with Kate, one of Penelope's main targets. "Keep the earbud in and if there is any sign…"

"Don't worry darling. We'll be safe, just take care of Sophie and…and bring Nate back home." She told him ushering him out the door.

Once they had pulled out Maggie went back inside and closed and locked the door.

**So will the plan work? Is she the woman the one who was drugging Nate? Does she know where Penelope is? The next chapter will tell…**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Sophie made her way to the door of the apartment the woman they had identified as the one supplying the drugs to Nate on behalf of Penelope. For the first time for as long as she could remember she was nervous. She could hear Nate's voice in her head telling her it's for a con and she will be great. The problem was this was not for jewels, or money or artwork, this was for something way more valuable, it was for Nate, it was for her family. She drew in a deep breath calming her nerves and then knocked loudly on the door then stood back and waited.

"Who's there?" Barbara's voice drifted through the door and Sophie new she was looking through the peephole.

"I know what you did to Nathan Ford…I know about Penelope Cowan…" Sophie said softly. "If you don't open this door and let me in I will have to go to the police…"

Immediately she heard the lock on the door turn and the door opened to reveal the woman they had seen on the surveillance footage. She checked the hall way and then pulled Sophie into the room.

"What do you want?" She asked Sophie turning around after locking the door again.

"I want to live a good life somewhere other than here." Sophie told her as she waltzed into the apartment.

"You want money…"

Sophie did not answer she just smiled at Barbara.

"Well we all have to pay for our sins in one way or another, in this case, with cold hard cash…" Sophie told her turning to face the woman.

"You don't understand…that man…Nathan Ford…he is a bad man and Penelope was just trying to help his wife and his family…"

"Really…" Sophie said controlling her emotions and staring at the woman in front of her.

"Yes…he did terrible things to them…Penelope was just trying to help them, to get him away from them. If he had got out of the hospital he would have killed them." Barbara said and Sophie could tell she believed every word of it. "She was only trying to help…"

"By drugging a man and then pretending that he died to sneak him out of the hospital…" Sophie said raising her eyebrows at the woman. "I don't think so…"

"Well think what you like. Penelope Cowan has helped a lot of woman, including me and all she was doing here was helping another family. She had to do it. She had tried to help his wife and daughter to disappear but he had found them and hurt them. Then when he was hurt and in hospital she saw her chance, she just wants to protect them from him. He is a monster, if you knew what he had done to his family…you wouldn't be doing this. Besides Nathan Ford did die, but that was not our fault it was a cardiac arrest, so I don't know what you are talking about." Barbara said tears forming in her eyes as she spoke. "My sister died at the hands of a monster like that because I couldn't help her…I…I won't let that happen again."

Sophie stared at the woman not quite knowing what to say. What had Penelope told her Nate had done? Then she took the decision to change the game. She was sure the woman would not tell her anything and she almost as sure that she would never jeopardise Penelope's whereabouts no matter what happened to her. She was not in this for the money, and that changed things.

"Barbara I don't know what Penelope Cowan has told you to get you to help her but she was lying to you…."

"No she wasn't…she showed me the pictures…that man followed his wife and then tried to kill her except he got hurt in the process, that was why he was in the hospital and that is why we could not let him get out…he would only go after her again. So now he's dead and good riddance to him too."

"She was lying and you know how I know that…" Sophie said taking a step towards the woman. "Because Nathan Ford is my husband and I can tell you he is the kindest most loving…." Sophie's voice hitched as she spoke about Nate tears forming in her own eyes. "She didn't kill him Barbara, she stole him from me…she took him and I don't want money, I want him back."

"No…" Barbara said shaking her head. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she wanted him for herself, first she tried to get rid of me and my daughter by stealing us away and trying to make him believe we were dead, but he found us…or at least he found me. Then we found our daughter who had been given to another family…that was where Nate got hurt, getting our daughter back and protecting us from the man who had her. Nate is not dead Barbara, he is not dead." Sophie said vehemently. "Penelope Cowan has him and is keeping him captive. She used to be our friend she used to babysit our child. You know what happened to her, with her husband…She told you…?" Sophie asked the woman who was staring at her nonplussed by what she was saying. Barbara nodded.

"Well it was Nate who got her out of that situation, it was him that made sure he would never hurt Penelope again and Penelope decided then that she wanted Nate…so she…she took him." Sophie told her. "Please…please help me get my husband back."

"I…"

"I don't want to hurt Penelope, she's sick…she needs help…I just want my husband and my daughter want's her father back…please…" Sophie begged the woman.

Barbara stared at Sophie. She was not sure what to believe. Penelope had come to her, she had told her about her abusive husband. She had known about her sister, how her sister's husband had taken her life and tried to take the life of her grandson. Penelope had asked for her help to stop that from happening to another family. Now looking at Sophie she did not know what to believe. She had questioned Penelope as to why they had kept him sedated, comatose in the hospital. Penelope had told her that she needed him kept that way until she could get his wife and child to safety, she had said that when she was sure they were in a place that he would never find them, they would bring him back to consciousness and then the police would take over. Sophie said Nathan Ford was not dead but being held captive by Penelope, was that true? She knew he died. It was noted in the medical records, she had checked. She had been shocked when it had happened, guilt ridden at her part in the whole affair and she had contacted Penelope to ask her what had happened. The drugs she had given her were not supposed to kill him. Penelope had told her that it was God's way of punishing him and that his heart just gave out and it was not either of their faults, but it was for the best anyway. Was this woman really Nathan Ford's wife? Was he actually a victim and not a villain? If that was true she had been used by Penelope for her own reasons, she had been manipulated into helping her destroy a family and that was the last thing she had ever wanted to do. Her heart was telling her that Sophie was not lying to her, but…what if she was, then she would be betraying Penelope and she didn't want to do that either.

"I don't know what to believe…?" Barbara said sitting down heavily on the sofa.

"This is my daughter…" Sophie said pulling out a picture of her family together. "And this is Nate…" She said handing the picture to Barbara. "Please I am begging you…help me save him."

Barbara took the picture and stared down at the happy family. She recognised the man from the one in the hospital and she recognised Sophie. If what Penelope had told her was true then Sophie and her daughter should be miles away from here in a place Penelope had stashed them. She should not be here begging for her help to find her husband.

"I don't know where she is…" Barbara said looking up from the picture she held. "She never told me…we always met at the hospital and that was all."

"_Does she have a number for her?"_ Hardison asked over the coms.

"Do you have a number for her, a mobile number you contacted her on?" Sophie asked the woman.

Barbara nodded that she did. She got up and picked up her mobile phone going through the numbers. Then she handed Sophie the phone. Sophie took the phone and read the number out loud for Hardison.

"_Tell her to call Penelope…she has to keep her on the line for at least a few minutes or I won't be able to trace the call."_ Hardison instructed.

"Can you call her…" Sophie asked handing Barbara her phone back. "Call her and tell her…tell her that somebody came to you knowing what you and she had done and they want money…tell her you are scared and that you need to know what to do." Sophie said. "It is very important Barbara that you keep her on the line for as long as you can."

Barbara nodded as Sophie placed the phone on the table and dialled the number after activating the speaker. The line rang four times before Penelope Cowan picked up.

"Why are you calling me?" She asked immediately.

"A woman came to see me…she said that she knows what we did. She wants a lot of money…she's threatening to go to the police. What are we going to do?"

"Firstly you are going to calm down." Penelope told her. "Who is this woman…?"

"I don't know, she didn't tell me her name." Barbara said watching as Sophie shook her head indicating that she should not tell her who it was. "It doesn't matter…if she goes to the police…"

"How much money does she want?" Penelope asked.

"One million dollars…" Barbara told her.

"_Nearly got it…just a minute or two more…"_ Hardison told Sophie who rolled her hands over each other indicating that Barbara needed to keep Penelope on the line a little longer.

"I'm scared Penelope…if the police question me, if they suspect something or do an autopsy…I could lose custody of my grandchild…I could go to prison." Barbara said trying to put all the fear she could into her voice.

"Nobody is going to prison. Just relax. We did nothing wrong and they can't prove anything." Penelope told her.

"But…but what if they do a toxicology test on the body…"

"Don't worry about that, I promise you that will never happen." Penelope said with conviction. Was that because there was no body Barbara thought to herself remembering what Sophie had said and now firmly convinced she was telling the truth.

"What do we do Penelope?" Barbara asked again.

"Set up a meeting with this woman. Tell her you will pay her. I will wire you the money and we can be done with her." Penelope told her.

"_I have her…"_ Hardison's voice came over the coms.

Sophie nodded to Barbara showing her that they did not need to keep Penelope on the line any more.

"Penelope…"

"Don't call me again Barbara…we have to just keep calm and keep away from each other. I will have the money wired to your account. You can pay her and then I will have additional money paid to your account so that you and your grandson can go somewhere else and start a new life. We just have to get passed this hurdle…"Penelope Cowan told her. "We did the right thing Barbara, never forget that."

"I won't…" Barbara said and then the phone went dead.

"Thank you…thank you so much." Sophie said grabbing her bag and running out the door without another word. She was down the stairs in minutes and in the van with Hardison.

"Let's go." Sophie said and Hardison nodded pulling away immediately.

The house they arrived at was small and undistinguished. There seemed to be no guards around it and it seemed actually quite deserted. The stopped a little way down the street from the house and all of them piled out of the cars.

"Why are we stopping here…?" Sophie asked. She just wanted to get to the house and get to Nate.

"We have to play this carefully." Eliot told her. "She's unstable and she's determined to have Nate. She will recognise us on site and she may panic and do something to herself and Nate."

Sophie's heart skipped a beat at the thought that Penelope may do something to Nate.

"So what do we do?" Sophie asked the Hitter.

"Parker you have to get inside and tell us the lay of the land." He instructed the Thief. "Once we know what happening inside we can decide what to do next."

Parker nodded and then was gone. They all waited anxiously for her to report what was going on inside and the minutes dragged agonisingly by.

"_Ok…I'm in but the place seems empty…deserted"_ Parker said.

"Be careful Parker." Hardison said.

"_It's quiet…nothing here, not even fully furnished."_ Parker whispered as she made her way through the house.

"This is definitely the place girl…" Hardison said, he had not made a mistake and if Penelope wasn't there she had been when she answered Barbara's call. "They must be there."

"_Yeah well Hardison there is nobody…"_ Parker stopped talking and everything went quiet for a moment. _"Wait…"_ Parker said her voiced hushed.

"Parker…" Sophie said.

"_She's here…with Nate…"_ Parker whispered. _"They are in the main room at the back of the house. They seem to be alone."_

"Is Nate alright…?"Sophie asked anxiously.

"_I can't see…he is lying in a bed and she is next to it…just talking…" _Parker said. She could only partially see into the room and going in any further Penelope was sure to see her.

"Ok…Parker we are coming in. Get the front door…" Eliot instructed her. Any one of them baring maybe Bonnano could pick the lock of the door quietly but he wanted Parker busy with something and not trying to confront Penelope before they got in. He moved quickly off towards the front of the house with the others following.

As they arrived at the door it opened to let them in.

"They are in the back room. She is just talking to him. He seems to be restrained in a bed in the middle of the room. He is hooked up to an IV." Parker informed them as they filed into the house.

"Alright…well there is only one way to do this now." Sophie said taking the lead and marching down the hall to the room Parker had indicated. This ended now and she was going to end Penelope Cowan and get Nate back if it was the last thing she did.

**So they have found Nate and Penelope and now the showdown is coming. What do you think Penelope will do when confronted by Sophie and the others? What condition is Nate in? Thank you all for reading and for taking the time to review it is really appreciated. **


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Penelope hung up the phone. There was only one woman who could have contacted Barbara and she was quite sure that she did not want money. She snarled at the thought and threw the phone across the room shattering it on the wall.

"Penelope…"

"Nate…oh Nate, they are never going to leave us alone. They are never going to let us be happy." She said approaching the bed.

"Sophie…" Nate said closing his eyes. He was sure that Sophie or one of the others were the only ones that could cause that kind of reaction from Penelope. They weren't dead and they were coming for him, he just had to hold on a little longer.

Penelope's face twisted in anger as she heard him whisper her name. She had done everything for him, she loved him and still he could not forget her. Why, why was he doing this to her, why was Sophie doing this to her. Didn't she understand that she, Penelope needed Nate, that Nate needed her. She could make him see that if she had time, he would realise how much he loved her and how they were meant to be together. But she was not going to have that time because Sophie Ford would not leave them alone. Oh why had her people not succeeded, why was the woman still alive? She was like a bug that could just not be killed. Her and the rest of that so called family of Nate's, they tormented her, but she would win, she would be with Nate and they would not stop her.

"You know Nate they are never going to leave us alone. We will never be free. Not as long as we are alive…we will never have peace." She told him running her hand over his forehead. He was still restrained and immobile.

"Penelope you are sick, you need help. If you let me go I will help you I promise you, I will get you the help you need. Think of your daughter. She needs you."

"She doesn't need me…" Penelope told him. "She hates me…she hates me for what HE did…" Then she shook her head as she looked down at Nate. "No she doesn't need me…"

"She does Penelope, she does and she loves you."

"Does she…?" Penelope asked sadly. "Is that why she doesn't want to come home, not even during the holidays…" Penelope said tears sliding down her face. Then she pulled herself up and wiped away the tears. "No…no Nate it is just you and me and they don't even want us to have that."

Penelope leaned over him and kissed him gently and Nate did not pull away. He could feel that she was planning something, something that was not going to be good for him. He needed to stall her, he was sure after that phone call that they were coming but when…he just hoped he could stall her until they got here.

"Penelope…"

"Shhhh…..don't worry Nate, I have a plan, they won't hurt us…they won't hurt us…" She crooned as she ran her hand through his hair. "I promise my love…I promise…"

Nate closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Penelope please…we can get away, we can leave here, get away from them. I was wrong…I see that now…You are the one not Sophie…"

"Oh Nate…" Penelope said leaning in again to kiss him passionately. "It's too late…It's too late my love but I promise you we will be together…" She told him. "I will never leave you Nate…" Then she moved away from the bed after giving him another kiss.

"Penelope...what are you doing?" Nate asked straining to watch her as she worked with the medicine that was stashed at his bedside.

"Don't worry Nate…it won't hurt, it will be like going to sleep." Penelope told him as she worked with the IV bags. "I promise my love and we will be together again soon…."

"Penelope please I don't want to die…we don't have to do this, we can just leave, we can run away…it's a big world, we can go somewhere where they will never find us."

"No Nate…" Penelope said her voice hard. Then she turned back to him and smiled sweetly. "No my love…It's too late…they will always find us, no matter what I do. I tried, I tried my love to keep you safe but, but they just keep coming no matter what I do. I am sorry my love but this is the only way." She said then turned back to what she was doing.

Nate's head fell back onto the pillow. He closed his eyes and tried to think what to do next. Then she turned back to him and hung the IV bag she had just prepared. Then she connected it to the main line. Then she opened the line and allowed the drug to seep into Nate.

"Penelope…"

"Shhh….shhhh…it's ok Nate…just close your eyes, you don't have to fight anymore…" She said softly.

"Move away from him now…" Sophie's voice interrupted her as she and the others came through the door.

"Sophie…" Penelope said stepping away from the bed and smiling at the woman.

"Nate…" Sophie said looking at the prone man in the bed.

"Stay just where you are Sophie…" Penelope said bringing her hand up and pointing the gun she held at the woman. "All of you just stay where you are." She needed to give the drug time to work, she needed to protect Nate until he could find the peace she wanted to give him.

"Nate…" Sophie said again ignoring the woman her eyes fixed on the figure in the bed.

Nate tried to lift his head but it had suddenly become heavy. His eyes were hooded as he looked at the woman he loved. He could feel the drug flowing through him draining all his energy and dragging him into darkness away from her.

"So…phie…" He struggled to get out lifting his head ever so slightly. Then his head fell back and his eyes closed his breathing becoming slower as the drug did its work.

"Penelope put the gun down. It's over, it's over there is no way you are getting away now." Sterling said.

"You think I want to get away…?" She spat at him. "All I wanted was to live happily with Nate but you…" She swung the gun around taking all of them in. "None of you wanted to let us be."

"Penelope just put the gun down." Sterling repeated moving forward and drawing all her attention as Eliot and Parker edged around. They knew that Nate had been given some kind of drug but they were also afraid that Penelope turned her gun on him if she thought they would get to him before the drug took its full effect.

"He is my husband…he is mine." Sophie said her voice hard and cold as she spoke to the woman who turned to face her the gun now firmly pointed at her.

"He was…but now…" Penelope smiled looking down at Nate. "Now we will be together forever." She said raising the gun.

"Penelope don't…" Eliot said leaping forward but he was too late and the gun discharged with a deafening roar.

Sophie moved swiftly to Nate's side as did Eliot. He grabbed the needle in Nate's arm and pulled it out stopping the flow of the drug into his system.

"Nate…" Sophie said leaning over the man who was spattered with Penelope's blood. Eliot pulled the body of Penelope Cowan off of the still man in the bed.

"Eliot…"

"Morphine…" Eliot told her leaning in and checking Nate out. "I think we were in time."

"Paramedics are a minute out." Bonnano told them as he took off his jacket and placed it over the form of Penelope who lay discarded on the floor behind Eliot.

"I'll go and make sure they get here…" Hardison said. He did not like the site of blood and there was a lot of it along with parts of Penelope Cowan's brain splattered around and he felt as if he was going to throw up. There was nothing he could do for Nate except make sure that he got treatment anyway.

"Well it's over…" Sterling said as he followed Hardison out. The room was crowded and he was not needed. He wanted to phone Maggie and tell her that it was over and that they were all safe.

The paramedics rushed into the room and took charge of Nate. He was unconscious and suffering from an overdose. After inserting an IV and starting treatment for Morphine overdose they loaded him onto a gurney and followed by Sophie they took him out to the ambulance.

"Go…" Bonnano told the others. "I'll clean up here."

"Thanks Pat." Eliot said, then he Parker and Hardison left following the ambulance. Sterling stayed behind to help Bonnano.

Nate was taken into the ER and Sophie and the others were left to wait for the doctor's report in the waiting room. Sophie was starting to hate hospitals as much as Nate did, they had spent too much time in one lately and if she never saw the inside of another one it would be too soon.

"Mrs Ford…" The ER doctor said as he came out to see them.

"Yes." Sophie said stepping forward.

"Your husband has received a large dose of Morphine. However we were able to give him treatment immediately and he is going to be fine. He may be out for a few hours though."

"Thank you doctor…" Sophie said relieved that Nate was going to be fine. "Can we see him?"

"Sure you can go in. We will be moving him to a private room soon." The doctor told them.

"Thanks again doctor."

"It's my pleasure." The doctor said and then moved off to deal with the other ER patients as the four of them made their way to Nate's bedside.

They remained with him until he was moved to his room. Eliot made sure it was a private one and that they could all stay with him until he woke up.

"It's over Nate…" Sophie told him as she took his hand and placed her hand on his forehead. "It's over." She said suddenly feeling exhausted. They had been through so much in the last month, she had nearly lost him, nearly lost her daughter and her own life. It seemed like forever since she had gotten a good nights' sleep.

"Sophie you're exhausted." Eliot said coming to stand beside her. "Why don't you…"

"I am not leaving here until he wakes up." Sophie interrupted him. "I want to go home and tell my daughter...our daughter that her Daddy is fine and that he is coming home."

"I wouldn't suggest anything else." Eliot said putting her hand on the Grifter's shoulder. "All I was thinking was that you should take a seat before you fall down."

Hardison brought over a chair and placed it behind Sophie who gratefully sat down never at any time though did she release Nate's hand. Then Hardison and Parker moved over to the sofa in the corner of the room Nate had been placed in. Eliot moved to one of the other chairs in the room and all of them waited for Nate to wake up.

**So they are all safe and Penelope is dead. I hope you enjoyed the story to now. Epilogue to follow. Thanks for all the reviews I really do appreciate each and every one of them.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Nate came back to consciousness three hours later to find Sophie asleep at his bedside his hand firmly gripped in hers and her head resting on the bed. Nate decided to let Sophie sleep. He knew she was safe and that was good enough for him. He swung his eyes around the room and they landed on the figure standing at the foot of the bed.

"How you feeling?" Eliot said as he met the Mastermind's eyes.

"Go…" Nate swallowed hard and tried to clear his throat. "Good…" He finally got out. Eliot moved to the other side of his bed and poured him a glass of water and helped held it for him as he drank.

"Thanks…" Nate said after draining the glass through. "Penelope…?"

"Dead…"

Nate stared at the Hitter and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not me…she shot herself." Eliot said reading the unspoken question.

"Nate…" Sophie said as she came awake to find her husband awake and talking to Eliot.

"Hey Soph…" He said squeezing her hand gently.

"Oh Nate…" Sophie said tears of happiness suddenly filling her eyes.

"Hey hey…" Nate said wiping away his wife's tears.

"I'm just so…Oh Nate I nearly lost you…" She said leaning in and giving him a kiss.

"Hey looks who's awake…" Hardison said as both he and Parker came awake.

"About time…" Parker said bouncing over to the bed.

"Hey guys…" Nate smiled at them.

"It's over Nate…" Sophie said running her hand through his hair. "Penelope is gone…it's over."

"So when do I go home?" Nate asked. He hated hospitals and he felt fine, tired but fine.

"Not so fast mister." Sophie said pushing him back onto the bed as he tried to sit up. "You are staying right where you are until the doctor tells you that you can go home." She told him.

"I feel fine Soph…" Nate argued. "I just want to go home, to my house. I want to see my daughter."

"Kate is fine, Maggie is with her and besides I am sure she is sleeping by now so you might as well just get comfortable because you are going nowhere."

"But I think we will be going…" Eliot said feeling that Nate and Sophie needed some time alone.

"Yeah…yeah man…" Hardison said picking up on Eliot's signal that they should leave the Grifter and the Mastermind alone. "Come on girl let's go home." Hardison said taking Parkers hand.

"Ok…" Parker said although she did not want to leave Nate. "But we will be back first thing in the morning."

"Of course you will…" Nate smiled at her. "And then we will all go home."

"Ok…" Parker said softly. She wanted leaned in and hugged the Mastermind tightly. "I'm glad you are alright." She told him.

"Thanks Parker…I'm glad too." Nate said gently returning her hug.

The three of them then left and once they had closed the door leaving Nate and Sophie alone, Nate moved over on the bed and patted the one side. Sophie smiled at him and then kicking off her shoes she climbed onto the bed snuggling up to Nate.

"I almost lost you…" Sophie whispered to him. "I thought I had lost you."

"But you didn't." Nate said turning his head and kissing her head.

"How is our daughter…?" Nate asked as they snuggled closer to each other.

"She misses her Daddy…" Sophie told him wrapping her one arm around the Mastermind and resting her head on his chest.

"Not as much as he misses her…" Nate said. "Or her mother…"

"Oh Nate I love you so much…I…I…"

"Don't Soph…it's over, we are safe and tomorrow we are going home." Nate said pulling her impossibly close to him. "You and me and our daughter safe and well…"

"Yes…" Sophie said but could not stop the tears of relief falling. It had been a long hard few weeks with so much emotional turmoil, for all of them and now that it was finally over and Nate was here with her, holding her, it all suddenly started to overwhelm her.

"Shhhh…" Nate soothed her. "Let's get some sleep and then tomorrow we can go home." He said kissing her head again.

Sophie nodded and closed her eyes as she lay with him. Within minutes they were both asleep, safe in each others' arms.

The next morning the doctor gave his consent to Nate being discharged and Nate called Eliot early to collect them and take them home. He told him to tell the others not to come to the hospital but to meet them at the house.

Eliot pulled up at the house and Nate and Sophie climbed out of the car.

"Mommy….Daddy…." A little voice called out and a small girl raced towards them as the house of the door opened.

"Kate…" Nate smiled opening his arms and bending down catching the running child in his arms and lifting her up hugging her tightly. "Hello baby girl…" He said kissing her forehead.

"Hello Daddy, I'm glad you home…" Kate said happily. Then the girl looked over to her mother who took her from her fathers' arms and hugged her tightly. Nate put his arms around Sophie and his daughter and they made their way into the house.

The rest of the day was spent catching up on everything that had happened while he was sedated and going over everything. Bonnano joined them all for a lunch which Eliot prepared and then at around seven that evening everybody took their leave, leaving the Ford family alone. Kate had drifted off to sleep in Nate's arms as they sat in the living room listening to music and just being with each other, something both of them had missed.

"Let's put her to bed and then…" Nate kissed Sophie gently. "I would like to go to bed with my beautiful wife."

Sophie smiled back at him and nodded standing up and watching as Nate carried their daughter to her room. Together they got her into her pyjamas and then Nate tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead gently wishing her sweet dreams. Sophie then also kissed her and made sure she was warm and snug.

They both walked to the door and then turned to look at their daughter sleeping peacefully in her bed. Nate smiled and then turned out the light. He took Sophie's hand and led her into their bedroom.

"I missed you…" He said kissing her passionately as they made their way to their bed.

"Me too…" Sophie said between kisses.

"You know Nate…"

"Mmmm…" Nate said kissing her as he slipped her blouse off of her.

"I have to tell you something…" She said unbuttoning his shirt and letting it slip off of him.

"Can it wait…?" Nate said as he rolled her over so that he was poised above her.

"I think you should know…" Sophie smiled at him running her hand over his face and then lifting herself up off the bed and capturing his lips again.

"Know what…?" Nate said as he helped her out of her skirt.

"You are going to be a Daddy again…" Sophie said her eyes locking with his. She saw his eyes widen and then she saw the smile that made her heart sing.

"Oh Soph…" He said kissing her gently. "I love you…" He said pulling her into a hug as he felt tears prick his eyes.

"Mommy…" A little voice interrupted them as they heard Kate call for her mother.

"Yes baby…" Sophie said quickly getting up and throwing on her nightgown before opening their door.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Kate said, she was still half asleep as she moved to her mother.

"Of course you can." Nate said walking over to them and taking Kate into his arms carrying the child over to their bed. Sophie followed watching as he laid her gently on the bed.

Sophie climbed into the bed beside her daughter and covered her with the duvet. Nate smiled as he watched his wife and his daughter, then he quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before climbing into the bed with them. Kate snuggled against her mother and Nate lay on his side smiling at his wife and daughter. Sophie and Kate drifted into sleep and Nate leaned over kissing first Kate on the head and then Sophie.

"I love you Sophie Ford…you and our beautiful daughter… and I will love the new addition to our family just as much." Nate whispered to the sleeping woman. Then he lay back and closed his eyes drifting into sleep with a contented smile on his face.

**I know a bit of a corny end…but hey it's my story. Hope you all enjoyed and thank you all for your support. Thank so much to Farrago42, Sandy-wmd, msj12991, Leveragus, Stellaru, SusieDevereaux, KendraBC, huttonfan, leverageobsessedgrifter, Zee Zee Magee and Sphinxius your continued and loyal support are greatly appreciated. To everybody else who followed or favorited the story and to the others who also took the time to leave reviews or simply read and enjoyed thank you all… Until next time…**


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